Do you really have to do those much-touted kegel exercises? Not necessarily, new research claims. According to a recent study, the only fitness regimen you need to enhance your sexual pleasure may be your morning workout.

Though so-called “coregasms” -- female orgasms induced by core muscle exercises -- have been discussed anecdotally for years (even Alfred Kinsey mentioned them in his famous 1953 report), these findings from Indiana University offer scientific proof of their existence, says Medical Xpress. If you were looking for motivation to get yourself out of bed and into a gym in the morning, here it is.

The study, led by Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at IU, found that these “coregasms” were associated with a number of different exercises including abdominal workouts, biking and spinning, lifting weights and climbing poles or ropes. And this latest information about “coregasms” could do more than just encourage women to replace their vibrators with a spin class. “These data are interesting because they suggest that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual event," and they may also teach us more about how orgasms happen physiologically, Herbenick told Medical Xpress.

Herbenick and co-author J. Dennis Fortenberry, M.D., professor at the IU School of Medicine, surveyed 370 women, ranging in age from 18 to 63 for the study, all of who had already had some sort of exercise-induced sexual experience. 124 of the women had experienced exercise-induced orgasms (EIO) and 246 had experienced exercise-induced sexual pleasure (EISP) before the study began. Of the women who had EIOs, 51.4 percent had done so while engaging in abdominal exercises -- and usually after multiple sets of them, reported LiveScience -- another reason not to slack off after the first set. It only took the researchers five weeks to recruit all of the women they surveyed, which indicates that the phenomenon may not be all that rare. And 40 percent of the women involved reported that they had experienced sexual pleasure from exercise at least 10 times.

Unfortunately though, “coregasms” apparently aren't all pleasure. Many of the women surveyed said that they felt self-conscious exercising in public spaces, lest they have an orgasm while lifting weights and lose control. And while this research indicates that exercise can lead to orgasm without the help of sexual fantasies, it doesn’t tell us whether or not exercise can actually improve women’s sex lives. After all, these orgasms aren't happening during sex.

But Hebenick seems hopeful that her research will benefit women. If nothing else, it could lead to a deeper understanding of the process and experience of female orgasm. “It may be one way for women to learn more about how their bodies work in that regard,” she told LiveScience.

RELATED: 9 Health Benefits Of Orgasms

Loading Slideshow...

  • Keeps Your Blood Flowing

    According to Dr. Jennifer Berman, co-founder of the Female Sexual Medicine Center at UCLA, orgasms increase your circulation, keeping the blood flowing to your genital area. This in turn keeps your tissue healthy!

  • It's A Form Of Cardio

    Although it can't be considered an alternative to daily exercise, having an orgasm is a cardiovascular activity. "Your heart rate increases, blood pressure increases [and your] respiratory rate increases," says Berman. And because it's akin to running in many physiological respects, your body also releases endorphins. Sounds like a pretty fun way to work your heart out.

  • Lifts Your Mood

    Feeling down in the dumps? An orgasm might be just what you need to pick yourself up. In addition to endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin are also released during orgasm. All three of these hormones have what Berman terms "mood-enhancing effects." In fact, dopamine is the same hormone that's released when individuals use drugs such as cocaine -- or eat something really delicious.

  • Helps You Sleep

    A little pleasure may go a long way towards a good night's rest. A recent survey of 1,800 women found that over 30 percent of them used sexual release as a natural sedative.

  • Keeps Your Brain Healthy

    Having an orgasm not only works out your heart, but also your head. Barry Komisaruk, Ph.D. <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/tips-moves/orgasm-news" target="_hplink">told <em>Cosmopolitan</em></a> that orgasms actually nourish the brain with oxygen. "Functional MRI images show that women's brains utilize much more oxygen during orgasm than usual," Komisaruk says.

  • It's A Natural Painkiller

    One thing that Victorian practitioners may have been onto is that orgasms can work to soothe certain aches and pains -- namely migraines and menstrual cramps. (So now you know what to do next time you have a headache if you don't feel like popping an Excedrin.) According to Berman, the contractions that make up an orgasm can actually work to evacuate blood clots during your period, providing some temporary relief.

  • It Relieves Stress

    Most of our lives are so hectic that it's hard to even imagine being relaxed. However, it turns out that <em>sexual</em> release can double as <em>stress</em> relief. Not only do the hormones help with this task, Berman says that being sexual also gives our minds a break: "When we're stressed out and overextending ourselves, [we're] not being in the moment. Being sexual requires us to focus on one thing only."

  • Gives You A Healthy Glow

    There actually might be something to the idea that we "glow" after sex. The hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which shows <a href="http://www.ivillage.com/secret-health-benefits-sex/4-a-283856" target="_hplink">increased levels during sexual excitement</a>, can actually make your skin healthier.

  • Aids Your Emotional Health

    Last but not least, when you know what it takes to make yourself orgasm, you may increase your emotional confidence and intelligence. "When you understand how your body works and ... [that it] is capable of pleasure on its own, regardless of your partner status, you make much better decisions in relationships," says Logan Levkoff, Ph.D., a sexologist and certified sexuality educator. "You don't look to someone else to legitimize that you're a sexual being."