Unintentional orgasms—they’re not just an urban myth. In fact, you might have even experienced it yourself! Whatever the case may be, aren’t you curious to find out what sets them off in the first place? Researchers at Indiana University certainly were. According to their study published in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, women who have climaxed accidentally during a workout weren't thinking of sex in the first place.

In an online survey, 124 women reported having had exercise-induced orgasms, while 246 said they experienced exercise-induced sexual pleasure. Most of their stories started out quite innocently. One woman said that she was simply biking uphill when she felt an orgasm coming on. Some reported simply doing pull-ups and chin-ups when they felt themselves reaching their peak.

Based on the details their participants revealed, researchers have reason to believe that physical exertion is responsible for the unintentional pleasure. Abdominal exercises, in particular, were said to be responsible for 51 percent of the respondents’ orgasmic experiences. Other possible harbingers? Yoga, weightlifting, bicycling, and even hiking.

But as interesting as it sounds, don’t expect to find pleasure at the onset of your workout. According to the study, you’ll probably feel it on the 15th or 30th sit-up. Even so, researchers say that only 15 percent of women get to have such an experience. Still, the thrill of finding out whether you’re part of the 15 percent or not is reason enough for you to take the time to work out, don’t you think?

(Photo by lululemon athletica via Flickr Creative Commons; image used for illustrative purposes only)