Recess4GrownUps

Let your brain out to play.

Hips Don’t Lie

Why We Love Slinky Dance Moves

Whether it’s a shimmy, a swivel, a sway or a sashay, movement from the hips gets attention. Bilingual beauty Shakira really said it all; hips don’t lie. Everybody knows there’s something sensual about a swiveling pelvis - just ask all the Elvis fans! - but recent science has emerged that explains the why of it.

So just what is it that makes swaying hips so sexy? Well, a research team at the University of West Scotland did some homework, and what they discovered is perhaps more intimate than most of us would have predicted. In women, at least, the results of the study suggested that a lot about a woman’s sexuality (specifically, how easy it is for her to reach climax) can be determined just by observing the way she walks. The more swivel a subject had in her hips when walking, the more likely she was to…well, you know.

Picture: Creative Commons |Woman

Greater stride length and vertebral rotation (fancy ways of saying, the more visible motion in the pelvis - motions that are generally considered “sexy”) were observed in women who reported the greatest physical pleasure from intimate activities, according to the researchers. Observers in the study were 80% accurate (based on the women’s self-reported sexual histories and preferences) at gauging what a woman liked in the bedroom just from watching how she walked. Granted, the observers were trained sexologists, but the results are surprising nonetheless. Like I said, everyone knows there’s something sexual about pelvic motion, whether the swivel is on Elvis, Shakira or in a cheerleading routine. But apparently there’s more to the motion than just eye candy - really, the motions of belly dancing, tango or samba say a lot about the muscle tone and flexibility in your core abdomen and pelvis!

Researchers also suggested that increased stride length and vertebral rotation were correlated with overall core strength, balance and confidence. So activities that increase strength and flexibility in the core not only contribute to better posture, firmer abs and general sex appeal…but they might have other benefits, too, if you know what I mean.

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