You’re at the gym. You’re really pushing through that last set of sit ups. You’re so close to being finished when you suddenly start to feel a buildup of tension in your pelvis—one that feels familiar and…pleasurable? The tension builds and builds as you wrap up your workout until—yep, it’s happening: You’re full-on orgasming on your sweaty-ass mat, surrounded by dozens of people. Now you’re lying on the ground, panting and confused, thinking: What the heck just happened?
An accidental orgasm. That’s what just happened. These are orgasms that occur, you guessed it, by accident!
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Yes, that’s a thing, but while it’s something that totally can happen, it won’t happen for everyone. “It’s important to note that the ability to experience accidental orgasms depends on factors such as physiology, type of physical activity, hormonal balance, and underlying medical conditions,” says psychologist Nazanin Moali, PhD, sex therapist and host of Sexology podcast, adding that the cause and experience of accidental orgasms vary.
That said, if you think you’ve had one, you’re definitely not alone. These little unplanned O’s are a lot more common than you may think. (More on that later!)
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So, what exactly are accidental orgasms? How do they happen? What even causes them? Are they always pleasurable? Allow the experts to answer all your burning questions about these orgasmic little surprises.
First of All: What Causes Orgasms?
Before we get into it, it’s important to understand the nuanced ways orgasms—including intentional ones—happen in the first place. Why? Because, planned or not, an orgasm is an orgasm. The primary difference is that when an accidental orgasm happens, the climax-igniting buildup of sexual tension within the body either goes unnoticed until released, or is noticed, but isn’t connected directly to sexual touch.
Orgasms are defined as the release of tension at the height of sexual response. Intimacy expert Taylor Sparks, founder of OrganicLoven.com, points to the work of sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson—creators of the four-phase model of orgasm: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution—as a useful starting point in understanding this sexual phenomenon and how it happens.
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Basically, per the Masters and Johnson model, when we become aroused (excitement), tension builds inside the body (plateau). It continues building until you reach a peak, finally releasing the tension (orgasm). When this happens, the pelvic floor and genital structures usually experience involuntary contractions, the size and intensity of which will vary from person to person. This process happens during physical sexual stimulation the majority of the time—but not always.
Getting off isn’t always a totally straightforward, predictable occurrence. Moali says there are many factors that contribute to orgasms, and they can be triggered by numerous kinds of stimuli and physiological processes within the body and mind. Hence why they can sometimes happen outside of a sexual experience or otherwise, well, accidentally! Which brings us to…
Are Accidental Orgasms Really Possible?
Hell yes, they are! Pam Shaffer, MFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says that what happens in our bodies doesn’t always match up with what’s happening in our brains.
“Physiological arousal is not always concordant with desire and context,” she explains. “This means that sometimes we are aroused even when nothing sexual is happening, while other times our body doesn't feel aroused at all, even when we are experiencing sexual desire.”
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So your body might be saying: I am TURNED ON! I AM RARING TO GO, MAN! Meanwhile your mind is saying: I wonder where they keep the milk in this grocery store. And then, BOOM! You’re orgasming seemingly out of nowhere.
Moali says that accidental orgasms are most often triggered when the pelvic floor is being stimulated during physical exercise, such as being on a treadmill, going for a run, or doing pilates—aka a “gymgasm.”
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These types of Os may also be related to medical conditions, “including certain types of epilepsy or side effects of psychotropic medications,” Moali says. In fact, a study found that a significant portion of cis-gendered women taking the SSRI Fluoxetine reported accidental orgasms while engaging in regular activities.
Sparks also points out that riding bikes or motorcycles could ignite an accidental O, due to the vibrations and general contact with the genitals.
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How Common Are Accidental Orgasms?
So, are people spontaneously coming all over the place, or what? Shaffers says it’s a definite possibility.
“Given that our bodies and minds have the potential to get aroused, even when we aren't consciously seeking out arousal, it could potentially be quite common,” she says. Basically, bodies are freakin’ weird and do freakin’ weird things, which is all freakin’ weird and wonderful.
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Sparks says studies suggest accidental orgasms may be more common than you’d think. A 2011 study of 124 cis-genered women who had experienced exercise-induced orgasms found that 40 percent of participants had experienced this type of orgasm on more than 10 occasions, which is kind of a lot! The study showed that abdominal exercises were the most likely to cause an accidental orgasm (aka: “coregasms”). Other culprits included weight-lifting, yoga, bicycling, running, and walking or hiking.
Another 2018 study, published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, discovered 687 self-reported cases of nonsexual orgasms, with triggers including exercise, breastfeeding, riding in vehicles, listening to certain kinds of music, getting tattooed, childbirth, defecating, and more. A more recent study from 2021 found that people who experience exercise-induced orgasms may also be more likely to experience orgasms during sleep.
So yeah, it sure does happen, and the reasons really run the gamut.
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Are Accidental Orgasms Always Pleasurable?
While orgasms are, for the most part, quite pleasurable, they may not always be so fun when they’re happening to you by accident. It’s really about the context. An orgasm, much like a sneeze, can feel really great and release a lot of tension, but you wouldn’t want it to happen at an inappropriate time. “Much like a sneeze can be pleasantly relieving, you don't want to sneeze in the middle of a business meeting and you likely wouldn't want to orgasm either,” Shaffer says.
“Some may feel self-conscious and embarrassed, especially in public settings, leading them to actively suppress these sensations as arousal builds,” Moali says. This might lead to feelings of anxiety, which should be addressed with a qualified sex therapist or coach.
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5 Causes of Accidental Orgasms
1. Exercise-induced orgasms (“gymgasms”)
The most common form of accidental orgasm appears to be of the exercised-induced variety. These most often happen when your core is specifically engaged, but can happen during a whole range of physical activities such as walking, running, bike riding etc.
2. Certain medical conditions and medications
Moali says that people who experience spinal cord injuries may experience orgasm through mental pathways or stimulation of the cervix. Certain medications, such as SSRIs, may also play a role in unintentional orgasmic response.
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3. Mentally-induced orgasms
Our minds are incredibly powerful. Sparks says that if you’re engaged in a mental sexual fantasy, you may be able to trigger your psychological response to the point of orgasm. You get the excitement phase going, build it up through the plateau, and peak—completely hands-free.
4. Sleep orgasms
Shaffer says that nocturnal orgasms are actually fairly common. “These occur during the REM stages of sleep when we are dreaming,” She says. “You can draw your own conclusions about the kind of dreams we might be having when this happens.” Ooo-la-la!
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5. Sensory-triggered orgasms
You may be more sensitive to non-physical sexual stimuli, which can cause you to jump from arousal to orgasm quite quickly. For instance, you could be intensely aroused by dirty talk to the point that it makes you come. “You could be sitting at dinner with friends or family and your partner whispers something in your ear that sets you off,” Sparks says.
At the end of the day, having orgasms by accident is actually not uncommon at all. The human sexual experience is very complex and, in our humble opinion, very cool. That said, while a surprise orgasm is totally normal, if these experiences are causing you distress, seek out the assistance of a qualified mental health professional or your primary care physician to help you work through it. Generally speaking though, an unexpected O is nothing to worry about. As they say, life’s full of surprises. Some of those surprises just happen to be downright orgasmic.
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Gigi Engle is a COSRT-registered, GSRD-accredited sex and relationships psychotherapist, sex coach, sex educator, and writer.
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