Benefits of Kegel Exercises

Sex toys are a booming industry. They have helped bring fun and intimacy to the bedroom. But what could be better when you can incorporate sex and exercise at the same time? And when I say exercise, I am not referring to the cardiovascular kind or even the kind that involves weight lifting or standing on your head, I am referring to the kind of exercise that every woman has heard of, whether they have had a baby or not. I am referring to the dreaded Kegel exercise.

What's a Kegel

The term used for the pelvic floor exercise was named for Dr. Arnold Kegel in 1948. Dr. Kegel was a gynecologist who used this treatment as a non-surgical alternative for “genital relaxation.” And if you are wondering what a “pelvic floor” is, well, in women, it is the group of muscles and ligaments and such that support the bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum and help these pelvic organs function. In men, their pelvic floor includes those same muscles, ligaments and connective tissue, but they only support their bladder, rectum and other pelvic organs, as they have no uterus or vagina. And if you are wondering what “genital relaxation is,” it is what happens when those muscles are just a little too loose to do their jobs properly.

Kegel Exercise

The dictionary definition of the Kegel exercise is “an exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, in which the levator muscles are squeezed and held for five seconds, then released for five seconds, for a number of repetitions. They are used to treat urinary incontinence, or to prepare for or recover from childbirth.” Hey, for all I know, you ladies could be doing them as you are reading this. And men, don’t think these exercises cannot benefit you as well. Urologists prescribe these exercises for men who suffer from urinary incontinence. While women can do these Kegels sitting at a desk or while driving carpool, men can only do them while they are peeing. Halfway through urinating, they should try to stop or slow down the flow of urine. Sounds like a lot of fun. Though, there are those who say these exercises can help with maintaining or prolonging erections, so Kegel away gentleman, Kegel away…

Gynecologists enjoy telling their patients to perform these exercises to help tighten things up, it can be especially helpful when getting ready for sex after baby. Those darn kids can wreak some serious havoc on the lady parts. With each kid a woman has, doing Kegels becomes more important for her to get back in tip-top shape. So when the doctor gives you the okay to have sex at your 6-week check-up, doing Kegels should go high on her to-do list.

Kegel Toys

The exercises were designed to be done without any aides, but since Kegels are associated with sex and people who have sex sometimes like using toys, there has been a whole line of sex toys developed to help you with these exercises. Why should they be boring? You can spice up your sex life and strengthen your pelvic floor all at the same time. It is like killing two birds with one stone, but with orgasms, or at least the hope of having them anyway. Though, some say that with Kegels come better orgasms, no pun intended.

With that being said, let's take a look at the world of Kegel toys. Keep in mind that there is only one kind of Kegel toy and it involves a ball; A ball that you place into your special place and use your muscles to squeeze the ball and keep it in there. There are, however, some very creative Kegel toy designers and even more creative product advertisers that make these balls sound even more enticing. Take your pick and have some fun with the Kegels.

This looks like a really fun one. Balls attached by a heavy duty silicone strap for easy retrieval. The good news is that the silicone can be boiled, frozen, or placed in the microwave (though not while you are using them) and then you can put them in the top rack of your dishwasher. But if they actually make you climax, who cares what else you can do with them.

This is a very serious sounding product. According to the website, this “exerciser” for women, “provides the fastest, safest and most effective way to rapidly strengthen the pelvic muscle.” The standard size offered is supposed to fit 80-90 percent of women if they have had children AND are sexually active. The petite size is for women with smaller vaginal canals and are recommended for women 60 or over. This product comes with a lovely blue velvet bag.

Part of the “Official Pleasure Collection” of 50 Shades of Grey, these silver balls will help work your pelvic floor while you are thinking of the movie of the same name. I am pretty sure that there was no mention of Kegel exercises in the red room, but, according to Amazon, people who ordered the balls also order nipple clamps and butt plugs, so maybe I should watch the film again and see if I missed something.

These are pretty pink teardrop shaped balls that are attached with a feminine, delicate looking string so you can pull those suckers out when you have had enough. The detailed description of this product tells you that “your eyes will be immediately drawn to the uniquely ergonomic shape of this tool.” They will fit inside you comfortable and pleasurably; ahh, if only we could say that about all our sex partners.

These Kegel aids come with a black and silver brocade pouch so you can stick them in your purse and no one will suspect what you are carrying around with you. These medical grade stainless steel balls are hypoallergenic. Make sure your kids don’t get a hold of them as they are probably choking hazards.

I guess if you can do your exercises with a vibrating ball inside of you, that can’t be all bad. And there are products that look like vibrators with the balls attached at the end. It is advised that you don’t bring that one to the office, unless your office is okay with that sort of thing and you have a doctor’s note.