Kegel Balls and Pelvic Floor Exercises | Kegel Training Set Review

‘Do you leak when you laugh?’ Asks the poster at the public toilet… The blunt question was hard to ignore. The poster – courtesy of the Continence Foundation of Australia – also pictured a woman possibly around my age with her hands strategically placed ‘down there’. Between the straightforward question and a woman that could really have been me, I couldn’t help but think about it. I don’t want to leak and I heard that strong pelvic muscles often translate into better sex! Win-Win.

For more info about our top picks, see our article on the Best Kegel Balls available in Australia.

Kegel Exercises — Use it or Lose It

I had done pelvic floor exercises after pregnancy and birth, but as life gets in the way I simply stopped doing them. And as far as muscles go ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’! The obvious conclusion was that I needed to do my exercises again. Because I had done them in the past, I had a vague idea of how to do kegel exercises, but I decided there was no harm in having a look online for more information.

What Are Kegel Balls?

That’s how I came across Kegel balls! There are different brands and types, however, they essentially are little balls (most of them oval-shaped) that you insert in your vagina and use your muscles to hold them in place. The holding and releasing movement is essentially your pelvic workout!

Tracey Cox Supersex Soft Kegel Training Set

I was lucky enough to receive a Kegel ball set from LoveHoney to try out – the Tracey Cox Supersex Soft Feel Kegel Training Set. The set includes six different Kegel balls weighing 50, 65, 80, 95, 110 and 130 g. The idea is that you start with the lightest and build up your vagina strength until you get to the heaviest.

What do the Tracey Cox Kegel Balls Look Like?

The egg-shape balls with tails are very cleverly colour-coded from light purple (lighter weight) to dark purple (heavier weight). Not that cuteness should be a very important criterion for something that gets hidden in your vagina, but it is impossible not to notice how cute they are!

How to Use a Kegel Ball

Now, back to my muscles! I followed the instructions and started with the lightest weight ball. After adding some water-based lube on the Kegel and some coconut oil around the opening of my canal (I am not a big fan of water-based on my skin),  I inserted it, keeping the ‘tail’ outside. I was immediately surprised by the fact that I needed to actually work my muscles to be able to hold it in place.

I did that for a few minutes but had to go out to pick my daughter up. I was keen to keep the Kegel in as I was curious to go out with something down there that wasn’t a tampon. Sadly, as I was looking for my car keys, I realised that the Kegel was slipping out of my vagina every time I got distracted and relaxed my muscles, for a few seconds. I had to change my mind about going out with them. That might change when my muscles get stronger.

Weighted Kegel Balls – Stepping Up the Challenge

Back home, curiosity took the best of me and, instead of gradually and progressively increasing the Kegel weights over a few days of exercise, I tried the heavier balls that same night. There was no way my pelvic floor muscles were ready! It was noticeably harder to keep the second lightest ball in and, with the third one (out of six), I had no hope. So, back to the lightest ball.

As the days went on, I noticed it was getting easier to hold that light ball in place. Hurray! My muscles were getting stronger and I finally progressed to the next one.

Advantages of Using Kegel Exercise Balls

When I did pelvic floor exercises unaided, one thing that I always wondered was how much strength I had to apply for it to be effective. With Kegel, it is easy: you put as much strength as required to hold that particular ball in place. It gave me parameters to work with and feedback.

There’s no doubt that pelvic floor exercises are important for quality of life and these kegel balls make these exercises much easier and more effective.

We thank Lovehoney for the generous gift of this product for review!

To see a selection of our top picks for pelvic floor training products, check out our article on the Best Kegel Ball Sets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to strengthen your pelvic floor?

Like any exercise that strengthens a muscle, it takes time and consistency to see results from pelvic floor exercises. With regular exercise, you should start to notice improvements as quickly as a week.

What causes weak pelvic floor muscles?

For women, pregnancy and childbirth are common causes of weakened pelvic floor muscles. Overweight and obesity also contribute to weak pelvic floor muscles. However, as with all muscles, they will weaken with age, especially without regular exercise.

Does walking strengthen your pelvic floor?

Regular walking can help. For faster and more significant improvement, dedicated pelvic floor exercises are more effective.

Are pelvic floor exercises the same as Kegels?

Yes. Kegel exercises are named after Dr Arnold Kegel, who is known for publically promoting the idea of pelvic floor exercises.

How do I know if my pelvic floor muscles are strong?

You can actually check by inserting a finger inside your vagina and trying to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. You can feel how strong your pelvic floor muscles are from how tightly you feel your finger squeezed.

What are Kegel Balls?

Kegel balls are small, weighted balls that are inserted into the vagina, giving an object to squeeze against while doing pelvic floor exercises. They usually have a string or ‘tail’ to make them easier to remove.

Will Kegel balls help incontinence?

Pelvic floor, or Kegel, exercises are a good way to help combat incontinence and many women find using weighted Kegel balls to be much more effective than not using any device or aid for these exercises.

How do Kegel weights work?

Kegel weights give you something to tighten against when doing pelvic floor exercises. When standing, they also provide a challenge – slipping out if you are not able to contract your pelvic floor muscles tightly enough. By using progressively heavier weights, you are able to train your pelvic floor muscles to become stronger over time.

Are Kegel balls and Ben Wa balls the same?

The terms are often used interchangeably for any weighted balls that are inserted into the vagina. However, Ben Wa balls usually refer to balls that are designed and used for sexual pleasure. No matter which name is used, balls that are used for pelvic floor exercises are effective in enhancing sexual pleasure through stronger pelvic floor muscles. The exercises promote blood flow to that part of the body. Stronger pelvic floor muscles also give more pleasurable sex for you and your partner and lead to better and stronger orgasms for you. What’s not to love! 🙂