Kegel exercises: For women and for men

* NOTE: We use the term "Kegel Balls“. But the terms "Ben Wa balls, Geisha balls, Vaginal balls" etc. all describe the same thing: A solid ball rotating in a hollow sphere creating stimulation when you move.

In this guide, I would like to use my experience as a midwife and pelvic floor therapist to answer the most important questions about pelvic floor training with balls and other pelvic floor training aids. I will compare the different effects of these devices on the pelvic floor muscles and their effectiveness and give you tips on how to recognize their quality and effect. You will also receive information on the different types of pelvic floor training with balls, especially Kegel Balls* balls. If you don't want information, but want to see medical products with proven effectiveness, you can find them here:

Table of contents:

Pelvic floor training for women - and men!

Pelvic floor training is primarily associated with women in recovery after pregnancy and childbirth. But there are many other reasons for women and men to train the various muscles in the pelvic floor.

Together with our feet, the pelvic floor is the foundation of our body, of our physical being. Its condition is therefore simply the cause of the functionality of many other areas of the body.

This is because problems such as back pain, incontinence or, in men, potency problems or erectile dysfunction are often the result of unrecognized pelvic floor weakness.

Due to our unbalanced lifestyle (lots of sitting, little movement), the pelvic floor needs additional training.

Well-founded pelvic floor training should not only include physical exercises and training sessions, but should also raise awareness of the pelvic floor muscles and differentiate between the individual areas of the pelvic floor. This makes the exercises considerably more efficient. Posture also improves and everyday movements are carried out in a more intuitively controlled manner, preventing further damage to the pelvic floor.

Incidentally, sex also trains the pelvic floor, quite simply and as if by itself. What a wonderful gift from nature!

In addition to courses, a few minutes of your own pelvic floor training in everyday life hardly costs any time, but has a huge impact. (Suitable!) aids can help very effectively and provide additional erotic stimulation.

Types of pelvic floor training

I basically differentiate between two types of pelvic floor training:

Active pelvic floor training as in postnatal or pelvic floor training courses for women and/or men, or alone at home. I also offer individual training online. Active pelvic floor training can also be supported with aids such as simple balls or Kegel Balls* with different weights or with cones (vaginal cones, Kegel weights).

Passive training of the pelvic floor through (erotic) stimulation, also in everyday life. Well-known aids for this are yoni balls, electrical aids with vibration and/or control via apps, balls and various sex toys. My focus in this article is on the effect of Kegel Balls* when worn in everyday life.

Integral pelvic floor training

The pelvic floor forms the basis of our body, and the pelvic floor and personality are closely linked. Qualified, individual pelvic floor training must therefore also include various psychological and emotional aspects, which applies to both women and men. As a therapist, my various training courses form the necessary basis for my "Integral pelvic floor training" course program.

Psychological coaching or an individual consultation can also help you to improve your self-awareness and strengthen the development of your personality through the pelvic floor. Feel free to contact me at hsw@theros.de.

Tools for training the pelvic floor muscles

Hilfsmittel zum Training der Beckenbodenmuskulatur

Products for training the pelvic floor are also offered as pelvic floor trainers, vaginal trainers and pelvic floor training aids.

The best known are

  • Vaginal cones (also: cones)
  • Electrical devices (EMS or TENS)
  • Products with Wi-Fi and apps
  • Simple solid or hollow balls without vibration
  • Yoni Eggs / Yoni Balls
  • Kegel Balls* with vibration during movement

Vaginal cones

Vaginal cones (also known as cones or falsely: Kegel because of their shape) are probably the oldest aid for training the pelvic floor muscles, usually as a set. Cones are shaped like an ellipse and vary in weight. Vaginal cones are designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by "holding on". This means you have to tense your muscles to hold them in place. Unfortunately, they are too small for many women and slip out of the vagina when they move. I don't recommend them because cones often create also psychic tension and even cramping when used too long.

Kegels for Kegel exercises

This term has established, but is falsely used for different tools to train the Pelvic floor muscles. Originally it defined an instrument with balloon called "Perinometer" invented in the 1950s by gynaecologist Arnold Kegel for measuring the strength of voluntary contractions of the pelvic floor muscles, similar to Epino (see below). The "Kegel exercises" describe the "Kegel training" by squeezing of the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Electrical devices for EMS or TENS

There are various devices for electro-muscle stimulation (EMS) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which are inserted into the vagina to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles to contract using stimulation current. These devices are also available to borrow on prescription. However, electrically generated contractions alone are hardly effective; active training is required for a healthy pelvic floor. Comparison: You won't get a washboard stomach with EMS or TENS pads on your stomach if you just lie on the couch.

Pelvic floor trainer with WLAN and apps

These pelvic floor trainers are very hip and quite expensive. There are various exercise programs and the training effect is tracked. This gives the impression that the device can analyze how the pelvic floor muscles develop and that the program is intelligent. In reality, however, prefabricated patterns are often played based on the time and duration of use and the important task of feeling your own body is left to an algorithm that has virtually no real connection to the actual process in your pelvic floor. Other products have sensors that are supposed to be permanently interactive with your body. It is noticeable that even minimal effects on the "measuring surfaces" result in maximum changes in the display, so that the reliability and informative value are highly doubtful. As a battery-powered device, permanent pelvic floor training is not possible in everyday life.

Products with balloons (Perineometer)

Devices that train the pelvic floor muscles with the help of balloons and reliably and clearly show the progress of the training (such as Epino Delphine) provide you with an optimal illustration of the contractions of your pelvic floor muscles as well as the effect and success of your training, but cannot be used in everyday life.

Solid or hollow balls without vibration

There are also simple hollow or very solid balls made of metal, steel or stainless steel, often extremely large and mostly on Amazon products from China. They do not produce any vibration and are hardly suitable for training the pelvic floor muscles, but are more for erotic (anal) stimulation due to their weight and size. They are not suitable for pelvic floor training by vibrations during movement in daily life.

Yoni balls / Yoni balls

Yoni Eier

Yoni balls and yoni balls are usually made of semi-precious stones such as rose quartz, jade etc. and are also very popular due to their aesthetic appeal. They have different egg shapes, do not generate vibration and work on the pelvic floor muscles through their weight. However, solid stone, especially the larger yoni eggs, permanently draws heat from the body and thus even promotes the development of bladder problems such as bladder weakness, cystitis and incontinence. Also beware of products that are used to "beautify" the surface of the stones and which are deeply absorbed.

Kegel Balls*

Kegel Balls* are primarily sex toys, usually in a set as a pair. They consist of a closed, hollow ball with another solid ball inside. This rolls around inside when moved and creates vibrations in the vagina or anus. This mechanical principle does not require batteries, but there are considerable differences in quality, even the "best" products often have little effect despite promising orgasms or pleasure - but sex products do not have to prove their effectiveness. However, there are also love balls that do have to do just that: Medical Kegel Balls* are effective pelvic floor trainers and arousing sex toys in one. Proven!

The best pelvic floor trainers: "Medical" Kegel Balls*

Unfortunately the term "medical" is not legally defined in any way. Only products that have a certification as "medical" product must prove their effectivity on health, their safety in use and non toxic material.

Taking all aspects into account, genuine medical Kegel Balls* (means: certified medical devices) are the best pelvic floor trainers and aids for pelvic floor training or Kegel exercises overall from my experience as a midwife and pelvic floor therapist. Here you find the reasons:

Different forms of impact in everyday life

  • By feeling the balls inside you in everyday life, you strengthen your awareness of your pelvic floor
  • You pay attention to body tension during problematic movements such as jumping, lifting or carrying
  • The noticeable vibrations remind you to perform a few contractions or short exercises each time
  • The subconscious vibrations caused by pelvic floor training with balls intensively stimulate the bladder's sphincter muscles and effectively combat incontinence.

In order to achieve this effect, Kegel Balls* must also respond optimally to your movements! Unfortunately, there are enormous differences in quality...

Weight increases the training effect

Studies have shown that weight also increases the training effect of active pelvic floor exercises. That's why you should be able to choose from several sizes and weights, also so that you can increase the weights as you would in the gym. And you can hold the weight much better with balls than with cones.

The pelvic floor muscles are also exercised by the weight of the Kegel Balls* in addition to the vibration.

Therefore, the larger the selection of sizes and weights, the better the pelvic floor training with balls will work.

Medical Kegel Balls* balls are also ideal sex toys

The erotic stimulation is also much more intense with medical balls. It causes a stronger blood flow, which invigorates the whole pelvis and increases the ability to orgasm. The knowledge of the little secret inside you in public can also be arousing, as can the feeling of being filled. The contact of the ball with the G-spot and the vibrations create sexual pleasure and physical love also becomes more fulfilling. Once again: sex is great for the pelvic floor - so enjoy it! Here you can find Kegel Balls* that fulfill all requirements for women AND men! Be surprised:

Factors for the quality of Kegel Balls*

To determine the quality of Kegel Balls*, you should pay attention to the following properties:

Different sizes and weights

With the optimal ball size, you can relax your pelvic floor muscles during long-term use in everyday life without the ball slipping out. This size triggers a brief stretching sensation when it is inserted and passes through the muscle at the entrance to the vagina. This is important because otherwise you will unconsciously tense up when carrying the ball to 'hold' it in place, which can lead to hardening of the pelvic floor muscles. So you need different sizes and weights. One size fits all or just S, M and L are not enough. The more sizes, the better.

Proof of effectiveness

Erotic products can promise you anything without having to prove it. No - not every sex toy trains the pelvic floor muscles, as the advertising claims. Only certified medical products have to prove their effectiveness and that they must be free from harmful substances- in contrary to sextoys.

Information on efficiency

Is there clear information about the degree of effectiveness, i.e. the vibration intensity during movements? Because only the degree of effectiveness determines how intense the stimulation and thus the overall effect of the Kegel Balls* is - both therapeutically and erotically. But you can't see what is inside, and which producer tells you anithing specific or technical data? None. Except one: Viball®.

Application security

CE marking is required for almost all everyday products to ensure they are safe to use. And this is supposed to be unimportant in the intimate area of all areas? But there is another way...

Biocompatability - no harmful substances

Binding agents or adhesives are legally permitted in silicone and do not have to be labeled. "Medical silicone" is a completely free designation and does not meet any standards.

Permanent Hygiene - means also sustainability

Silicone and plastics take on odors and discolorations and become less hygienic with every use. So from time to time you must buy new ones - good for the producers. But millions over millions of discarded sex products are a huge pollution of the environment!

Okay, but is there any 100% body-compatible, permanently hygienic and sustainable material?

Yes, there is: It is medical, anti-allergenic implant steel.

Easy to use - everywhere and always?

If you can train your pelvic floor muscles wherever and whenever you want, that's an bi point for the optimal effect of Kegel Balls*. And lust is an unbeatable motivation! But which ones are really easy to use in public and in sport, really invisible even n the sauna or in the shower after sport?

Price/performance ratio?

Are temporary silicone products or expensive high-tech devices not too expensive if they can only be used to a limited extent, become unhygienic after a while and should be replaced?

The best Kegel Balls* fulfil all these requests!

Unfortunately, no Kegel Balls* met all of the above requirements. Why not? This question inspired me, together with my husband, to develop Ben Wa balls of the highest quality - without compromising on function and body compatibility.

Our aim was to create the best Kegel Balls* in the world.

The result is "Viball®: Certified medical products and loveballs in one.

Be surprised how versatile they are...

* NOTE: We use the term "Kegel Balls“. But the terms "Ben Wa balls, Geisha balls, Vaginal balls" etc. all describe the same thing: A solid ball rotating in a hollow sphere creating stimulation when you move.

Viball Geisha balls of stainless steel in different sizes

 


Hera Schulte Westenberg
Hera Schulte Westenberg

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