Some abdominal exercise can produce an orgasm. Photo / 123RF
Many women have now realised they are not alone when experiencing the phenomenon that is "coregasms".
Several fitness fanatics have revealed online that doing ab exercises causes them to experience an exercise-induced orgasm.
The conversation kicked off when New York-based fitness trainer Bec Donlan shared a screen grab of an article titled "I workout my abs for the orgasms" from online publication Medium, with her 58,000 Instagram followers.
In the story, the writer admitted she only "works out her abs for the orgasms", adding that "sometimes they're better than sex with a man".
Dolan, 33, who is founder of Sweat With Bec, joked that "coregasms" could be the perfect "selling point" for her training programmes, after she was shocked to learn how many women experienced it.
"I had an ab roller orgasm during your 100 challenge and tbh it was one of the best things ever," one woman revealed, while another said she avoids group workouts out of "fear" of climaxing in public.
"This is literally why I don't like classes that use ab rollers or certain other core movements," she wrote. "It's awkward af in public!"
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According to the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, the term is scientifically verified.
"Some women reach orgasm during exercise, especially those that involve the core abdominal muscles," researchers Debby Herbenick and Dennis Fortenberry from Indiana University wrote in the study.
"Exercises most likely to be associated with female orgasms are abdominal exercises, weightlifting, spinning/biking and climbing poles or ropes."
The research, which was conducted in 2012, was based on 124 adult females aged 18 to 64 years, who said they had had an orgasm while exercising, known as EIO (exercise-induced orgasm).
Another 246 reported having experienced exercise-induced sexual pleasure (EISP).
"Those who reached orgasm while exercising said they felt self-conscious when exercising in public places," Medical News Today reported.
"The majority of those who reached orgasm during exercise said they were not having any sexual fantasy or thinking about an attractive person during their experience."
In 2018, radio host Polly 'PJ' Harding revealed on her KIIS FM breakfast show that she too had an orgasm mid-workout at her local gym.
Harding explained that she was using a new machine at her gym, when she could feel something "awkward" about to happen in front of her personal trainer.
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"So I had to do 15 reps of it. And I was about 10 in and I thought oh no, oh no here we go," she said.
"I thought if I do 11 … but I didn't want to look weak and I didn't want to stop. So I kept going and then all of a sudden … I had to pretend that nothing had happened.
"I thought I was going to come out with some abs but I came out with something completely different."
Herbenick, who is also author of The Coregasm Workout, said at least 10 per cent of all people – no matter the age, gender or fitness level, experience orgasms while exercising.
However, she explained an orgasm that happens during sex compared to one that happens during exercise feels slightly different.
"The exercise ones are very bodily," she told Cosmopolitan magazine.
"With sex, in the best situation you also have an emotional connection – there's warmth, intimacy and meaning. And certainly sexual feelings as well.
"The exercise ones don't feel very sexual to people. They feel sensual and tingly, but they're not bonding you to a partner."