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Kegel exercises are important for folks with vaginas, like myself. Toned Kegels—AKA pelvic floor muscles—can deliver a host of benefits; studies have found exercising these muscles can help treat organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, ease labor, and even give you stronger, more reliable orgasms.Naturally, I want my orgasms—and, thus, my Kegels—to be in peak condition. But I’m terrible at sticking to a routine, and I’m even worse at it when that routine involves exercise. I’ve also always been confused about what, exactly, I’m supposed to be exercising down there. One friend told me to pretend I was holding in a fart; another told me to stop my flow mid-pee. (Sunny Rodgers, a clinical sexologist, wrote me that the second friend was right.) Samantha Jones told me to “tighten and release it for ten minutes a day,” but that feels vague. More specific directions, though, felt overwhelming: start two to three reps of four or five seconds each, two or three times a day. It was all so confusing that I’d pretty much given up.Over the years, a growing number of Kegel-focused devices have claimed to help those who are clueless-yet-hopeful like me. It began in the mid-twentieth century, when the eponymous Arnold Kegel developed the perineometer to measure the strength of pelvic muscles in his subjects, an unwieldy invention made of tubing and a balloon. A host of devices have followed: the Kegelmaster, a diabolical-looking device that relies on springs for resistance; Kegel weights; Kegel panties; something called the Magic Banana. Ben Wa balls (also known as Kegel balls) have come to such prominence that the Broad City ladies recently unveiled some in their new sexual health line.But none of these analog options did me much good. And apparently, I’m not alone—a slew of digitally-powered, Bluetooth-connected, app-based Kegel exercisers have hit shelves. “Let’s be real. Pelvic floor exercises are boring,” Sunny Rodgers wrote me. “Having an app or device can definitely make it more fun and provide more motivation to actually do them.” I agreed: I needed something that wouldn’t just help me along the path to Kegel enlightenment, but make that journey fun.Still, I eyed the emerging field of advanced Kegel exercisers with suspicion. (Case in point: Behold the Intensity, a combo sex-toy-Kegel-trainer that promises to strengthen and get you off all at once, an… intimidating promise) The Elvie, a smart pelvic floor trainer paired with a training app, sounded interesting, but focused more on preventing incontinence—not what I was looking for. The kGoal looked nice, but it just didn’t seem interesting enough to keep my interest.Then I discovered the (wildly successful) crowdfunding campaigns for the Perifit, a pelvic floor trainer that sends out a Bluetooth signal to a video game app on your phone. A gamified Kegel experience, I thought, might actually motivate me to keep at it. The device appeared simple to use. And the developers told me in an email that Perfit is the only Kegel exerciser that strengthens “both superficial and deep pelvic floor muscles.” At last! My Kegel Holy Grail.Watch the history of the vibrator:I managed to nab one before general release as a beta tester; it’s scheduled for international release on October 19, and will retail at €179, or around $200. The device is lightweight and compact, at about 4.5 inches long and 1 inch across at its widest insertable point; it comes in a small case with a manual that explains how to start whipping your Kegels into tip-top shape. Among the four different training regimens to choose from (Pre & Post Pregnancy, two having to do with incontinence, and Intimate Well-Being), I chose the latter, and began a five day intensive workout regimen.The user experience is pretty simple: You turn the device on, place it inside your vagina with the wide base sticking out, turn on the video game app, and off you go. Your avatar (either a little bird or a colorful butterfly) proceeds from left to right across the scrolling background, collecting small, lotus-like tokens. These are arranged at varied heights, which you navigate toward by contracting your pelvic floor. It’s cute, intuitive, and really cool.I started at level 1, and took it all the way up to level 10—which I repeated a few times, hoping I could master it.Full disclosure: I did not succeed.At first, the Perifit kept falling out. I lubed mine up for ease of insertion, but within seconds it would slip back out. I tried without lube (don’t do this) and it still slid out midway through my training session. Lying on my back only alleviated the problem a little, which meant that the problem wasn’t gravity or my exceptionally weak vagina. But if my muscles weren’t completely atrophied, why was it falling out?Cyril Haoudi, co-developer of Perifit, told me that I was “using your abdominal muscles or your buttock muscles instead of the pelvic floor muscles.” She told me to “touch your belly while you are…

Article Source > www.vice.com

By Sharon GordonAs part of my anti-aging fight I have started going to the gym. I have muscles aching in places I didn’t know I had muscles and this week I was subjected to a “Glute bridge”. My trainer is a young man, Bryan, who is polite and slowly learning that I see the world just a bit differently.This particular exercise seemed to be working all the right muscles for tightening my kegels, and we started discussing how important these muscles are for men and women.Men need their kegels to be strong to help maintain a strong erection and for women a tight, healthy vagina is important for better sex and for maintaining better bladder control. So this week we’re talking about kegels or PC muscles.How do you find your PC muscles and why is it important?The pubococcygeus or kegel muscles are located in the pelvis area.For men, a strong PC muscle and pelvic floor means that the erection will be stronger and higher. For women it is important because it keeps the vagina tight which in turn intensifies the orgasm, but more importantly when you get to my age and you sneeze – you do not pee in your pants. It is just not sexy.The PC muscles are also used to control the flow of urine so the easiest way to find the correct muscle is to stop the flow of urine the next time you go to the loo. Take notice of which muscles you are using to stop the flow, these are the ones you should be exercising.There are a number of exercises you can do to strengthen these muscles including, the glute bridges I refer to above, squeezing the muscles and holding for 10 seconds before relaxing. For women, the use of Benwa Balls, are also recommended. They are available in a variety of different shapes, sizes and weights.You may have seen or read about them in the new 50 Shades Movie. Your friends have discussed them and maybe even giggled. They have been referred to as Kegel Balls, Jade Eggs, Vagina Balls, Love Balls and historically Benwa Balls.They are manufactured out of a variety of materials and are different sizes and weight. Satisfyer and Je Joue have a range that includes 3 different weights for your training success.They are generally are two weighted balls joined to each other by a string of some sort. They can also be two separate weights with no adjoining string. These balls are inserted into the vagina like a tampon and yes you insert both and no they are not too big!They are essentially dumbbells for the vagina.Just remember that exercising your PC muscles is just like exercising any other muscle. Six sit ups every 6 months is not going to give you washboard abs. It has to be at least 2 hours a day, three times a week.Their use as a turn on is undisputed but they have a far more important function. Strengthening your Kegel or PC Muscles!The pubococcygeus muscle (PC for short) is the sling of muscles that support your genitals. Both women and men have a PC muscle and can benefit sexu­ally from exercising it.Exercising increases blood flow to the genitals, and improved muscle tone will enhance your sensitivity to all genital stimulation. Many people report easier and stronger orgasms when their PC muscle is in tone. We often forget that we have to keep all our muscles fit and toned.As we get older muscles soften and sag and the kegels are no different. As they start to sag and soften bladder control becomes an issue especially if you sneeze, skip or laugh and that’s just not sexy! That’s plenty of reason to exercise!To find your PC muscle, practice stopping a stream of urine in mid-flow. The muscle you tighten to do this is the PC muscle. Kegel exercises (named after the gynaecologist who first popularized PC exercises) involve rhythmically con­tracting and relaxing this muscle. Using Benwa balls is far sexier and easier in our opinion.Many women find it easier to locate and exercise their PC muscle when they have a resistive device in their vagina. This resistive device can be a finger, a carrot or even a dildo! I however recommend Ben Wa Balls.Ben Wa Balls can be made of silicone, jelly, glass or hard plastic. They can also be gold-plated or solid metal balls, slightly larger than a child’s marbles. Whatever your Benwa, they are intended for vaginal insertion. (They are not for anal use.) In some circles, rumour has it that their movement inside the vagina can cause a high degree of sexual arousal.The question is, do BenWas work?Here are two opinions:NO! Benwa Balls are a load of rubbish!Benwas are not like Mexican jumping beans. Women’s vaginas envelop the balls quite securely, and you would have to jump up and down to get them to move around at all. On the other hand, whenever a Benwa wearer sneezes, or has a good laugh, the balls can pop out of her vagina. So first the unsuspect­ing customer thinks she’s a sexual failure because she can’t feel a thing, and then she blows her nose at a dinner party and the balls come roiling down her leg! (This opinion was contributed by a person who does not…

Article Source > www.iol.co.za

By Sharon GordonJohannesburg – When was the last time you skipped, jumped or just laughed out loud? How did that go for you? Is sneezing in public becoming a danger zone? Chances are that you have lost control of your bladder and your PC or Kegel muscles.Kegel Muscles extend from the pubic bone in the front to your coccyx at the back and support the bladder, uterus and bowel. They weaken through childbirth, lack of use, surgery or age. Men also have this muscle. It is responsible for maintaining an erection, so you can see the value in maintaining it.These muscles were named by Dr Arnold H Kegel, who was looking for a non-surgical method for achieving genital relaxation.Tantra practitioners use the Kegel Muscles to exercise control and explore sensuality. Control increases pleasure during sex. Have you ever heard of edging? It’s when you play to the point of orgasm but then pull it back to increase desire.We all know the saying ‘if you don’t use it you lose it!’ It is particularly true for muscles especially after 40. This muscle can be exercised without thinking about it during penetrative sex. It is true that women who have sex regularly have much stronger Kegel muscles.If you are not having regular sex, you can exercise these muscles in a couple of ways. You need to isolate the muscle and the easiest way to do this is to stop your urine flow. Feel which muscles you are using to do this – this is the one you are looking for and need to exercise by doing ‘crunches’ – the more the better. Sitting in traffic is the perfect gym for this activity.Or you can use an exercise machine in the form of Benwa or Vagina Balls. Also known as Kegel Balls. Every woman should have a pair. They come in a variety of sizes and weights. In the old days – even before me, the were made of Jade or various stone. Today we have a large variety of silicone balls available.Benwa Balls were originally two separate balls manufactured from metal or ivory and used to increase male pleasure during intercourse. Strengthening female genitalia was never on the agenda!In ancient Asia (500 AD) Benwa Balls were known as Rin No Tama, which translates as Tinkling Bells.In recent years these Balls have been medically endorsed as a Kegel Muscle exercising device. Simply put they are dumbbells for your vagina. Insert them with the help of a drop of lubricant if necessary and go about your business. They are not going to work if you lie on the couch.For extra effectiveness you can tighten and strengthen your Kegel Muscles through Kegel exercises while you use your Benwa Balls.Benwa Balls, Kegel Balls, Vagina or Love Balls are all versions of the same thing. Single, duo with or without a tug cord, they are inserted into the vagina like a tampon. We have a variety available in store or online at Lola Montez.The balls are weighted and as such stimulate, massage and train the pelvic muscles making them the sexiest exercise device ever. You do have to wear them regularly. You don’t go to the gym once and expect to be firm and ready for a marathon the next day. It’s the same here. We recommend using them at least 2 hours a day, at least 3 times a week. The more the merrier.In Fifty Shades of Grey – the first book, Christian gives Anastasia a pair of silver balls to wear. You can imagine what that did for sales. So besides being a medical devise they are so sexy to incorporate in play. Wear them to dinner and casually suggest a play.Want to use your Benwa Balls for extra pleasure: Insert them into the vagina while you have anal sex or attach a bullet vibrator to the tug cord.You can test the strength of your Kegel Muscles by doing the tug test. Clamp your Kegel Muscles as tightly as you can and pull in the tug cord. The tighter your muscles the more difficult it will be to extract.A word to the wise, always wear them with panties or better still tight trousers. If your muscles are not as tight as they should be those balls have a way of sliding out! Them slipping down your leg into the isle at your supermarket is just not sexy!If the string breaks off while you are extracting them – don’t panic! They cannot go further than your cervix. Try to relax. Sit on the loo and bear down. They will pop out. Promise.As mentioned, if you don’t know where your Kegel Muscles are? Next time you go to the loo, stop your urine stream and hold, identify the muscles you are using. That’s them.Regular use of Kegel Balls will see a noticeable improvement in your Kegel Muscle strength within 5 weeks. No more random leakage. I have to stress that you have to be religious about this exercising otherwise you’re heading towards invasive surgery or panty liners.Pregnant women are advised to strengthen their Kegel Muscles to prepare the pelvic floor for the stress the body is going to encounter is the final stage of pregnancy and during childbirth.Why do you want them to be strong?Your orgasm will be far more explosive and more importantly, when…

Article Source > www.iol.co.za

You’ve got your at-home workout equipment, signed up for a wellness app, and maybe even a meal kit—but what have you done for your vag lately? The best Kegel weights, as well as smart trainers and machines, exist to strengthen your pelvic floor. Unsure what the pelvic floor even is? Think of it as a hammock that supports some very important organs, like your uterus, bladder, and bowels—and keeps you from going number one or two when you have to go. The pelvic floor enables childbirth, but it’s also a major player in your sex life. Carol Queen, Ph.D., sexologist at Good Vibrations, tells Glamour that the pelvic-floor muscles “have many functions and their well-being can affect a person in various ways, but they are certainly central to sexual health because, if they are too weak or too tight, this can have effects on our sexual functioning—especially those of us with vaginas, but really everyone.” When these muscles are considered too weak, the biggest issue people have is that this weakens the orgasm. “These muscles pulse when we come, and if they don’t pulse very hard, the contractions of orgasm aren’t very pronounced,” Queen says.There are many reasons your pelvic-floor muscles can be weakened. It could be something that’s happened over time, due to getting older. Or you might be experiencing weaker Kegel muscles after giving birth. If you suspect your pelvic floor could use a boost, you’re not alone—according to a 2008 study from the NIH, 25% of women have experienced pelvic-floor disorders. How do Kegel exercises help strengthen your pelvic floor?Kegel exercises, whether you choose to use a product or not, can help. These exercises involve a series of contracting and relaxing your pelvic-floor muscles to help strengthen them. “Doing a Kegel means you are performing an isolated contraction of your pelvic-floor muscles by ‘closing the openings’—my cue for women to gently close the anus, then vagina, then urethra,” pelvic-floor physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, tells Glamour. However, it’s important to talk to a medical professional before you self-prescribe Kegel exercises since sometimes exercising your pelvic-floor muscles can lead to more damage. “If these muscles are short or overactive, doing Kegels could actually make their incontinence, pain, or prolapse worse,” Jeffcoat says.One effect that weak Kegel muscles can have is the condition called vaginismus, which is when the pelvic-floor muscles spasm before or during penetrative sex, oftentimes making it very painful and uncomfortable. Some people even experience pain when inserting a tampon. In this case, Jeffcoat tells her patients to stop doing Kegel exercises, or even any core strength training (like Pilates), as this could be exacerbating the condition.There’s also no “right” way to exercise your pelvic-floor muscles. Some people prefer to do Kegel exercises on their own, and some need a physical tool kit. It totally depends on your personal preference and needs. Angela Fishman, a licensed physical therapist who specializes in pelvic-floor therapy, tells Glamour, “Research shows that using vaginal weights does indeed strengthen our pelvic-floor muscles; however, research also shows that using vaginal weights is not any more effective than doing other pelvic-floor muscle exercises, such as Kegels. So the lesson is, just do something! If the idea of lifting weights with your vagina appeals to you, go for it. If the idea turns your stomach, then Kegel away.”If you’re looking for tools to help with exercising your pelvic-floor muscles, keep scrolling for the best Kegel weights that have the expert seal of approval. 

Article Source > www.glamour.com

By Jenni Holdsworth Feb 27, 2019Share this article:ShareTweetShareShareShareEmailShareKegel balls (or 
Ben Wa balls), are a type of tool you can use to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. I’d even go beyond that, calling them a toy because their effects can include tons of jiggly orgasmic feelings. They’re fun, minimal effort exercises. Also if going to the gym sounds like a total pain to you, Kegel balls facilitate a kind of training that’ll certainly help you gain ground in the bedroom.If you have a pair and aren’t sure where to start, or if you’re unsure of what to buy, read on! I’ll walk you through how to choose the right pair and what to do after you get them home Kegel my what?Your Kegel muscle is the muscle found along your pelvic floor, also called the pubococcygeus muscle. Have you ever had to pee, really, really bad – but there wasn’t a bathroom close by? The Kegel muscle, as it turns out, is what you’re clenching on to when you’re trying to hold it in. That squeezing motion is also the basis of all Kegel exercises, which rely on repeated contraction and release to grow stronger.Although Kegel balls tend to be marketed primarily towards those with vaginas, everyone can use them – regardless of genitalia. Healthcare professionals recommend Kegel exercises for a variety of different health benefits, such as:- Treating urinary incontinence- Preventing vaginal prolapse- Speeding up vaginal tightening post-pregnancy- Treating inflammation in the prostate glandIn addition to medical benefits, Kegel exercises also have a powerful effect on your sex life. You may notice while doing the workouts that the movements are very similar to the contractions that occur during climax. A stronger pubococcygeus muscle makes for stronger contractions – which ramp up the explosive potential of orgasms.Strengthening your Kegel muscle can also help give you better control of orgasms and ejaculation – which is why I recommend them as a basic tool to address premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction and orgasm difficulties in general.Painless, effortless and incredibly beneficial, these exercises are some of the easiest ways to increase sexual pleasure without tremendous cost or risk.How do I Kegel myself?Although it’s possible to perform Kegel strengthening exercises on your own without any tools, Kegel balls are helpful because they don’t require any concentration or forethought (e.g. counting: sets, reps, seconds). These useful balls directly stimulate the target muscle.Keeping your Kegel exercise kit clean is crucial! If they aren’t cleaned and stored correctly, they can introduce harmful bacteria into your vagina that could lead to a serious infection. They should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before and after each use. Kegel balls come in their own storage pouch and should be stored there when not in use.When inserting Kegel balls – particularly for the first time – it helps to lie down with your legs relaxed. Apply a small amount of lubricant to the balls (preferably water-based, as silicone Kegel balls may degrade if a silicone lubricant is applied) and slide one in – at a speed that is comfortable to you. Push the ball upwards (similarly to how you might push in a tampon) as far as they go comfortably. Once in, just stand-up and go about your day.Where can I get my hands on them?There are so many different varieties of Kegel balls out there, it can be overwhelming to choose. Some are sets of balls attached by string, some are made of metal or glass, and they come in a variety of weights and sizes. This is where the distinction between ‘Ben Wa balls’ and ‘Kegel balls’ typically refer to larger balls with a string, encased in hard plastic or medical grade silicone, but both exercises are effectively the same.Visit Jenni’s 

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Article Source > www.iol.co.za