It is well known that exercise is good for your physical and mental health.

But now researchers say it may also benefit your sex life — as long as it is Pilates.

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Does Pilates Boost Sex Life?

In a study of women, it was discovered that Pilates was effective in addressing their issues with low libido, orgasmic difficulties, and pain during sex.

When done twice a week, the exercise—favored by stars like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner—has been shown to increase desire, arousal, and orgasms.

According to Turkish academics, the lectures could be a “new treatment” for those with sexual issues, which affect up to eight out of ten women.

36 women between the ages of 20 and 50 who had regular periods and had been in a sexually active relationship for at least three months were recruited by urologists at Sakarya University in Turkey.

All of the participants had female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which is characterized by symptoms like a lack of sexual desire, trouble getting excited or experiencing an orgasm, and pain during sex.

Depending on how the word is defined, studies indicate that between 10 and 80 percent of women globally are sufferers.

Previous studies have also demonstrated a correlation between lower levels of physical activity and a higher risk of sexual dysfunction.

There aren’t many medications for FSD, according to the researchers, who were led by Dr. Fikret Halis, thus study into other methods of symptom relief, like exercise, is required.

Each participant in the study took an hour-long Pilates class twice a week for three months while forgoing any other physical activity.

Pilates uses repetitive movements done on a yoga mat or a machine resembling a bed to increase strength, stability, and flexibility.

By strengthening “the lower trunk,” it “aims to achieve better body functioning,” according to the researchers.

According to them, it is similarly centered around six fundamental concepts: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow.

Participants completed two questionnaires: one to assess their sexual life and another to determine whether they were depressed before and after the three-month fitness program.

Their sex life significantly improved, according to the findings, which were published in the Spanish Journal of Andrology.

Their average self-reported score increased from 12 to 29 out of 95. A result of less than 26 is seen as evidence of female sexual dysfunction.

Their levels of desire increased by 136%, the number of orgasms they experienced increased by 140%, and the pain they experienced during sex decreased by 116%.

In the meantime, their disposition significantly improved.

They received a score on the depression survey that dropped from 25 to 14 out of 63, which is below the 17-point cutoff and is seen as a sign of depression.

Despite its widespread use and health benefits, no prospective studies have been done to evaluate Pilates’s therapeutic impact on adult female populations’ sexual dysfunction.

‘Our results point to the possibility that Pilates exercise regimens may enhance sexual functions in women with FSD and maybe a unique treatment option for FSD,’ the authors write.

The mechanisms underlying their findings were not looked into by the researchers.

Nevertheless, they claimed that shifts in a woman’s sexual response are “closely related to daily oscillations in happiness, enthusiasm, tranquility, and fear.”

Previous studies have shown that Pilates boosts mood, life satisfaction, and health, which could explain the link.