Steph Claire Smith had a 'coregasm' while working out. Is it really possible?

According to Steph Claire Smith, orgasms during exercise are a thing - and pls give us a moment while we get back to the gym.

But really! Apparently it's actually quite common.

Chatting with her Keep It Cleaner co-founder Laura Henshaw, on their KICPOD podcast, the model and fitness influencer shared how working out her core came with some... surprising benefits.

Watch: What is cuckolding? Sexologist Chantelle Otten explains. Post continues below.

"What unexpected thing gets you going?," Steph asked Laura on the podcast. "For me, it’s ab exercises. And I’m not alone in that."

"When I was in my late teens exploring things - I did get there. It only happened a few times, but I did enjoy it,” she said.

"And it is totally normal, so if ab exercises get you going..."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephanie Miller (@stephclairesmith)

When asked by co-host Laura what exercise it was, Steph shared, "Anything in the lower abdomen region... like leg lowers."

Interesting!

Wait. Are 'coregasms' a real thing?

According to sex and relationship practitioner Georgia Grace, yes - they're a real thing.

In fact, 'coregasms' have a name - they're actually referred to as exercise-induced orgasms. And they’re all to do with the type of workouts you’re doing – usually anything that engages your core.

Just for a quick history lesson, the 'coregasm' isn't new - it's a term that's been floating around for yonks. In fact, the concept was originally introduced by a sexologist called Alfred Kinsey, in 1953. 

Post-1953, the buzz around the phenomena kind of died off – until the University of Indiana published a study in 2011 to determine how many women have experienced one.

And it's actually more common than you might think.

Of the 530 women that responded to the study, 40 per cent had experienced a 'coregasm' on more than ten occasions. 

Forty per cent!

Forty-five per cent of these women had experienced the orgasm during abdominal exercises; 26.5 per cent had them during weight-lifting; 20 per cent put it down to yoga and 15.8 per cent named bicycling as the culprit.

Some even experienced an orgasm while walking or running. 

What. A. Time.

So what exactly is a 'coregsam'?

Well, Georgia explains it like this: "Basically, it's a climax that people experience during a workout, whether it is a core workout, cardio - anything that they are particularly engaging their pelvic floor. It can be quite surprising for people because it may not be within a sexual context."

Meaning? They're not necessarily a sexual thing - which is interesting, because it says a lot about just how complex orgasms are.

"Say, for example, at the gym - it could be based on physiological arousal, the way that they're engaging their bodies and the type of stimulation that's building arousal in their body, and it can lead to a climax."

"For some people, it's without direct stimulation to their genitals but also, it's perhaps not linked to sexual desire. There isn't a huge amount of research on this - so a lot of what we hear is anecdotal evidence."

Why do 'coregasms' happen to some people and not others?

This is one of the big questions when it comes to 'coregasms' - and Georgia said it depends on a range of different things. Most notably, your anatomy, and the way in which you're engaging your anatomy. 

"Some people will climax from certain stimulation and certain physiological changes that create arousal - like blood flow or your heart rate quickening, even just the position of your legs and what you're doing," shares Georgia. 

"There's nothing wrong with either person, it's just that we all have different bodies."

"Sometimes it can also be the placement of your genitals - like where all your organs are - and whether they are being stimulated in doing certain activities. But also the way that you're engaging your pelvic floor - and that will be really different to the next person."

Either way, it's such an individual thing - because no two people are the same.

"This is a really big question that I think underpins a lot of inquiries people have about sex - which is, why can't I do what they're doing?" adds Georgia.

"Just like your face looks pretty different to the person standing next to you, your body makeup is likely to be really different as well."

Put that way, it makes an awful lot of sense, no?

During which workouts are 'coregasms' most common?

If this is something you've never really experienced and you want to give it a crack, apparently there are a few common exercises that'll get you there. 

As Steph mentioned, things like core exercises - such as planks, sit-ups, push-ups, leg raises and hip thrusts, are all exercises where you might experience a 'coregasm'.

Noted.

Georgia adds workouts like Pilates where you're "holding on to a bar and lifting your legs up," are also common triggers, adding "some people have even experienced it on a reformer [bed], and just the pressure of their foot on the bar has led them to feeling arousal and that kind of movement."

"Other people say more high-intensity exercises - things like HIIT workouts - are common. Another really fascinating one some of my clients in their 50s, 60s and 70s will mention, is the vibrating exercise belts."

Amazing.

So... what happens if you have an unexpected 'coregasm' while exercising?

While we're all for celebrating orgasms, Georgia reminds us that for some people, experiencing orgasms during exercise can be pretty overwhelming.

"It's common for people to feel really stressed out by going to the gym with the fear that they might have an orgasm when they don't want one. And they can feel quite embarrassed about it," she said.

"Just note that you're normal and it's actually common for a lot of people to experience it. There's nothing wrong with you."

For anyone who is struggling with orgasms during exercise, she suggests a few different techniques that'll help you gain more control over it, so the feeling doesn't catch you so unexpectedly.

One of the main things she recommends is trying to "bring your awareness to arousal" and recognising the signs of "what it feels like when the pleasure or intensity or arousal starts to build." 

For example, you can ask yourself, "Is there a way that you can either ease off or change the exercise you're doing before you get to the point of no return?"

"Essentially, it's a process of bringing awareness to your body and then regulating it so that you can have a choice as to where you climax."

So, there you have it! 

Have you ever experienced a 'coregasm'? Please share ALL the details in the comment section below. Go on.

Feature image: Instagram; @stephclairesmith