Making The Case For An Orgasm A Day

By Rachel Levy PT, DPT, CIMT

It’s an understatement to say that 2020 was a strange year, and 2021 is also off to an odd start. Our daily routines now include wearing a mask, frequent hand washing, and keeping a distance from friends and strangers alike. But there’s something else you should consider adding to the to-do list: having an orgasm.

To state the obvious orgasms feel good. Orgasms stimulate several regions of the brain and prompt the release of hormones and neurotransmitters like oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins. Oxytocin has long been known as the love hormone and has been shown to play a role in feelings of happiness, attraction, and bonding (1). Dopamine has a well established relationship to feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward (2) and endorphins reduce feelings of stress and pain (3). But the benefits of orgasms aren’t just in your head, orgasms also play a role in your pelvic health.

Similar to the male erection the female genitals also become engorged during arousal leading to clitoral erection and enlargement of the labia minora to as much as triple in size (4). This increased blood flow can help mitigate and prevent vaginal atrophy (5) which is a thinning of vaginal tissue associated with painful vaginal penetration, such as during sex or gynecological exam, dryness, itching, and burning (6) and also helps maintain the appropriate pH level of the vagina thereby reducing the risk of infection (7). Vaginal atrophy is common in postmenopausal women, with one study of over 900 women finding 79% of participants experiencing atrophy (6) and has also been found in postpartum women who are breastfeeding, due to decreased estrogen levels (8). Through increased blood flow orgasms help maintain healthy vaginal tissues without impacting estrogen levels. 

Female orgasm involves rhythmic contraction of the pelvic floor musculature and these contractions can help maintain the tone of the muscles thereby assisting the pelvic floor in maintaining continence, managing intra-abdominal pressure, and preventing low back and hip pain (9). The connection between a stronger pelvic floor and a stronger orgasm is not definitive however some studies do show improved sexual function in women with stronger pelvic floors (10), that performing pelvic floor exercises during the postpartum period improves sexual desire, satisfaction, and orgasm (11) and that pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and poor sexual function are linked in postmenopausal women (12). 

And it is not just women, there are several studies linking male pelvic floor dysfunction with erectile dysfunction and dysfunction with ejaculation and orgasm (13). Some studies have shown improvement in premature ejaculation with pelvic floor physical therapy. (14) 

But before you start doing pelvic floor contractions to boost your orgasm intensity it is important to note that overactivity of the pelvic floor muscles can cause pain with penetration and urinary incontinence — meaning pelvic floor strengthening exercises are not appropriate for everyone, especially if your pelvic floor musculature has never been evaluated. An orgasm a day may also sound really daunting if you struggle to achieve orgasm. There are several pelvic floor conditions that could be contributing to this such as decreased mobility of the skin covering the clitoris or painful muscles within the pelvic floor. A pelvic floor physical therapy examination can help determine if there is a musculoskeletal problem interfering with your ability to orgasm. 

So whether you are getting cozy with a partner or focusing on self care, make time for orgasms, and know that there are many treatment options available if you’re experiencing trouble with pelvic or sexual health. 

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