What The Heck Is A Coregasm!?

If you clutched your pearls and gasped at the word ‘coregasm’, you’re about to have your mind blown. Yes, a coregasm is a real thing, and we’ve been doing some digging to find out what it is, how it happens, and how we can have one. Don’t pretend you weren’t wondering the same thing...

What on earth is a coregasm? 

A coregasm might sound like a schoolyard myth, but it’s actually been recognised by scientists as early as the 1950s. Yes folks, we’re getting historical with our orgasm research! It’s thought to be an orgasm that occurs while you are engaging in a core-focused exercise or workout, and it’s actually mentioned in medical literature, where it is called an exercise-induced orgasm (EIO) or exercise-induced sexual pleasure (EISP). Blimey. 

Why do coregasms happen? 

The cause of these elusive orgasms is up for debate, as scientists haven’t quite figured out the details. It’s believed that when you engage your core muscles during intense exercise, the pelvic floor muscles contract as a result, and if you’re lucky, may cause some sort of inner stimulation that leads to an orgasm. And it’s not just women who have experienced this. In men, the same ab engagement has been known to lead to prostate stimulation. 

Many factors affect the possibility of having a coregasm, and although one factor can be your emotional state at the time of exercising, scientists have found that coregasms seem to happen independently from sexual thoughts and fantasies, and are considered asexual in nature - it’s only physical. 

How common are coregasms? 

There’s not much research on coregasms yet (damn it!), but according to Dr Debby Herbenick - PhD, Professor at Indiana University School of Public Health, and author of The Coregasm Workout - they may be more common than we once thought. 

The problem is there isn’t much societal conversation around the phenomenon, as (let’s face it) if you have an epic orgasm while doing your daily crunches, are you going to tell the world? Probably not. Herbenick’s research suggests coregasms are pretty common, and it is reported that around 10% of women and 8% of men have experienced one at some point. 

What do coregasms feel like? 

Like other orgasms, they are likely to feel entirely different for each individual. Some intense and ground-shaking, others quick and barely-there. Herbenick’s findings suggest that the coregasm more closely resembles a vaginal intercourse orgasm than an external orgasm involving clitoral stimulation, so there’s that. 

OK…how do I have one?! 

Looking for the perfect combo of crunches and leg raises to achieve the best workout of your life? Unfortunately we can’t give you an exact blueprint. In fact, even with the most rigorous, ab-burning, core-blasting workout known to mankind (please don’t injure yourself!), a coregasm isn’t something you can guarantee will happen. It is thought that an ideal combination of your muscle strength and exercise form, and even your anatomy could play a huge part in whether or not this is possible for you to achieve. 

That said, trying some of the most likely core exercises could help you discover if this is something that happens to you. If you want to see a whole bunch of example exercises, Women’s Health Magazine have a blog post about it, but if you’re ready to get down to it with some simple moves, here are the exercises we’ve found that could induce a coregasm: 

• Sit-ups or crunches: Easy peasy. These are sure to force your abdominal and hip muscles to contract, making the stimulation required for a coregasm more likely.  
• Squats: Squats may not seem like a core-focused exercise, but they cause you to use your glutes and brace your core muscles, so they have coregasm potential. 
• Leg lifts: According to some Reddit users, these have brought on a coregasm or two, most likely due to the core engagement needed to get your legs off the ground. 
• Plank: Another core killer, but this one requires drawing in your navel and squeezing, which it is thought could trigger a coregasm.
• Hanging ab exercises: Leg raises, hanging tucks, hanging flutter kicks, and the like all require a fair amount of core tightening, which as we all know... 
• Yoga: Certain yoga poses require a lot of core strength, such as bridge, boat, chair, dolphin and more. When you hold these for a prolonged period of time, you may find your core is engaged just enough to bring on a coregasm. 

Remember, you don’t need to smash out a HIIT workout to achieve this. You may still feel results with a low-impact session that focuses on form and engages the core. 

How can I increase my chances of having a coregasm?

Not having any luck? While there’s really no guarantee of a coregasm no matter how many sit-ups you do, you may be able to increase your chances of having one by engaging in Kegel exercises while you work out, using mindfulness to focus, and even starting your workout with 20-30 minutes of cardio before moving on to abs to get your blood pumping. Even if you don’t achieve a coregasm, these activities could help increase your sexual arousal so that when your workout is finished, you’re ready to go. 

On a totally unrelated note, anyone up for hitting the gym soon?

If you have any questions about all things coregasms, we’d love to help. You can ask away over in our private Facebook group, or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period box can get organic tampons, eco pads, supplements, and more, delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox. That frees up some time for...exercise. Yeah. Let's say exercise. 😉