Life

How Pilates Helps Your Sex Life

by Irina Gonzalez

Long considered yoga's slightly sexier younger cousin, Pilates as a form of exercise is loved by millions for its ability to improve balance, ease back pain, and build core strength. Originally created in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates as rehabilitation treatments for aches and pains, the physical fitness system also has a dirty little secret: Pilates might just have an added sexual benefit too. If you're curious about how Pilates helps your sex life, you're not alone.

According to Shape, a Pilates workout can lead to better orgasms. The reason for this seems to be all of those core exercises that many people swear helps them get flat abs. It turns out the same muscles worked during Kegel exercises (which improve the pelvic floor muscles in order to help women achieve more frequent and more intense orgasms) are also worked out during Pilates. There's a synergy that happens between the pelvic floor and the transversus abdominis (the deepest layer of ab muscle) so that when you pull your navel to your spine, you're engaging your pelvic floor too.

But besides strengthening those "vagina muscles," as the pelvic floor is often called despite the fact that men have those muscles too, Pilates has other added benefits as well.

According to MindBodyGreen, there are actually many ways that Pilates can improve your sex life. For one, Pilates increases your physical stamina thanks to the exercises that are all about control and focus. Pilates also helps to increase the blood flowing to the pelvic area thanks to that same "navel to the spine" exercise and the focus on "scooping," which can lead to more intense orgasms. Last but not least, Pilates teaches you to be fully present and in the moment. This is especially important during sex, since you want to be able to connect with your body and your partner. Well, all of those focus and concentration exercises in Pilates can help you do just that.

Practicing Pilates can also help your sex life because it's an exercise that makes you stronger and more flexible, according to HuffPost. The exercises also make you feel more confident in your body, and who wouldn't want that as an added bonus when you jump into bed with your partner at the end of a long day? With Pilates focus on what your body can do and not what it looks like, it's easy to go home at the end of your fitness class feeling sexier than ever.

If you've ever taken a Pilates class before, then you might have already realized that some of the fitness plan's benefits can aid you in your sex life too. Not only is Pilates safe while you're pregnant and can help you with your postpartum recovery, but it's also one of the exercises that can improve your sex life. Next time you're feeling a little too tired to head to your local gym, maybe remind yourself how getting those toned abs will also help you have better orgasms. I honestly can't think of a better motivation to work out.