Ever feel a little turned on while exercising? There’s no need to feel embarrassed, it actually happens to a lot of people. While being active is a “potent aphrodisiac for both men and women,” according to Tina M. Penhollow, an associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion at Florida Atlantic University, there are some biological reasons a sweat sesh could get you in the mood.
- Working out affects your hormones- Personal trainer Nick Liguori explains that workouts, especially lower-body ones, get hormones like testosterone pumping through your body and that increases blood flow to your reproductive organs, which ignites your libido. And a study from the University of Texas at Austin finds working out affects a range of hormones including cortisol, estrogen and prolactin, which have all been linked to sexual excitement in women.
- Exercise increases physiological arousal- Another study finds a “significant increase in physiological arousal with exercise” in female participants. Indiana University professor Debby Herbenick has done research on the subject for her book, “The Coregasm Workout,” where she writes that as many as one in 10 women (and one in 12 men) have experienced an “exercise-induced orgasm” at some point. And most of them reported they weren’t thinking about sex at the time!
- Running really gets some people going- Some people told Hebenick that they had orgasms from running, but only when they did it for over 20 minutes. She says going for a run before a core workout can also boost the chances of that happening.
So if improving your physical and mental health aren’t enough to motivate you to focus on fitness, maybe knowing it could boost your libido will do the trick.