We know that working out can boost your metabolism, and bring loads of other health benefits too, including lowering your risk for early death and heart disease. But if you needed even more motivation to hop on a bike or head out for a run, we’ve got one for you: it turns out that four hours of exercise a week could help women increase their chances of reaching orgasm.
A new study out of the University of Florence, found a sweet spot when it comes to how long you exercise. Working out excessively — more than six hours a week, in this case — was linked to a reduction of sexual satisfaction. While similarly, women who seldom worked out reported higher levels of sexual dysfunction.
Related: Sex Sessions: How to find (and explore) common erogenous zones.
While more research is needed to really zero in on the cause and effect, scientists theorize the link between exercise and orgasms may be due to the boost in circulation exercise provides, including increased blood flow to your nether regions.
Exercise has also been linked to improved self-esteem, as well as being a natural way to boost your happy hormones, all of which play a part in having a good time when you’re getting down and dirty, even if orgasm isn’t your goal.
While the study was relatively small (322 women were surveyed), and it does make some far-out assumptions (i.e. that women who excessively exercise may have underlying body image issues that impact sexual satisfaction, rather than, say, simply training for a triathlon), it offers a glimpse into how seemingly unrelated activities can still impact our overall health and wellness.
Related: Sex Sessions: Unlearning and sex terms to know in 2021.
