Can Pilates Really Help Improve Your Sex Life? An Expert Weighs In
There are many reasons to love Pilates. Models like Lori Harvey credit the practice for rock-hard abs. Athletes like David Beckham rave about Pilates for its ability to keep them in shape, and celebs like Kate Hudson praise the practice for its mindfulness component. Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge even said it’s like she’s had a massage after she finishes a Pilates workout.
But there’s another reason to make this mind-body practice your new favorite workout: The positive impact it can have on your sex life.
Yup, Pilates can help you experience greater pleasure between the sheets in addition to the benefits that are most commonly touted- such as, improved posture, mindful movement, increased body awareness, reduced stress and injury prevention. Sexual health, partricuarly pertaining to women has been considered a taboo topic for years. Eliminating the stigma can also help to increase a woman’s awareness and experience. By consciously strengthening the pelvic floor, you can achieve and thus experience a more gratuitous sex life, including but not limited to, improved female orgasms.
How can your Pilates practice lead to a better orgasm? First we need to take a look at the pelvic floor and understand what happens to these muscles during sex.
What is the Pelvic Floor and What Role Does It Play in Orgasm?
Sometimes referred to as the “vagina muscles” (even though yes, men also have pelvic floor muscles), the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that rests at the base of the pelvis (between your tailbone and pubis bone). It supports the internal organs above it including your uterus and bladder.
“The pelvic floor is responsible for many things, including contributing to sexual function,” says Arianna Mitropoulos, a board-certified physical therapist focused on providing accessible and affirming care for all genders in the pelvic health space. “These muscles are involved in various stages of the sexual response cycle, including leading up to (and after) orgasm, and play many roles including assisting in sensation, blood flow, and organ support.”
During orgasm, the pelvic floor contracts involuntarily anywhere between 5 and 15 times, so it makes sense that the stronger these muscles are, the more intense the muscle contraction will be thus strengthening the orgasm. In addition to consciously squeezing these muscles during sex with a partner or on your own, a strong pelvic floor also increases the amount of sensation you can feel, intensifying the level of an orgasm and giving you more control overall. This is true for both men and women.
If your partner also intentionally squeezes their pelvic floor muscles while you’re doing it, you’ll feel more sensation as well. File that one under the many reasons to convince your partner to join you in your next Pilates workout.
What does this all have to do with Pilates?
Pilates as a practice focuses on strengthening your core, with all movements stemming from your abdominis. In fact, one of the most common things we hear from people after their first Pilates class is about the burn they felt in their abdominals.
The significant interconnection between your deep core muscles and the pelvic floor are why Pilates exercises can ultimately help you achieve a satisfying O in the bedroom.
“We know that better pelvic floor strength correlates with better sexual function and higher scores on sexual satisfaction measures in general,” says Mitropoulos, stressing that sexual function and orgasm are complex and there are many factors to consider, not just muscular.
In addition to strengthening the deep muscles of the pelvic floor, Pilates is also famous for strengthening and lengthening muscles which can help release tight hip flexors and loosen the lower spine. This increased mobility can also be a bonus when trying different sexual positions.
