woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.
Kegel balls, while small in size, can be mighty in impact. Also known as Ben Wa balls or love balls, these intimate accessories have multiple uses, from strengthening pelvic floor muscles to better orgasms.If you’ve ever looked into vagina health, you’ll likely be familiar with the concept of kegel exercises—muscle training movements for strengthening the health of the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises can help combat common vagina problems that come as a result of the pelvic floor weakening. “Our pelvic floor covers the whole inside of our pelvis, it’s a big muscle running from our tailbone to the pubic bone at the front, so kegel exercises involve us strengthening the whole muscle,” says Lucy Allen (opens in new tab), lead women’s physio at Naytal, an online clinic for pregnancy and post-natal needs. “It’s so important because it affects so many aspects of our lives, from body confidence and intimacy to socializing,” she adds, “Our pelvic floor muscles are vital in controlling our bladder and bowel function and supporting our pelvic organs.” As well as helping prevent, control and improve urinary incontinence through strengthening the pelvic floor, kegel balls are also a gamechanger when it comes to maximizing sexual pleasure (if you’re keen to learn more about how else you can boost your sexual experiences, read our guide to how to have an orgasm that will blow your socks off). What are kegel balls?Kegel balls come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You might find them listed under orgasm balls, geisha balls, or jiggle balls, but they all have the same purpose. Two weighted balls on cords make up the basic structure of a kegel ball set. You might see kegel balls without cords, in larger sizes, with heavier weights, or in silicone and smooth metal materials. Some kegel balls have also been developed to pulse and give off vibrations that deliver sensation directly to the pelvic floor muscles. If you already do kegel exercises, start off with a simple set of kegel balls at a low weight. If you’re totally new to pelvic floor training, try kegel exercises without the balls first. If you suffer from any vagina problems such as pelvic pain, endometriosis, or pelvic infections, speak with your OB/GYN or a sexual health professional before you use kegel balls. They can help you understand how to tell if there’s something wrong down there and if kegel balls are suitable for you. (Image credit: Getty Images )What are the benefits of kegel balls? There are two key benefits of using kegel balls on a regular basis—for pelvic floor strengthening and also enhanced sexual pleasure. 1. Strengthen pelvic floor muscles Kegel balls will certainly help strengthen your pelvic floor and combat the most common symptoms of weakened pelvic muscles, including incontinence when laughing, coughing, or sneezing, difficulty getting to the toilet on time, postpartum pelvic prolapse, and pain during sex. “When I found out that with the onset of perimenopause your pelvic floor has a 50% increased chance of getting weaker, I knew I needed something to challenge my pelvic floor,” says Julie Colan (opens in new tab), a pelvic health campaigner and the founder of Secret Whispers. She adds, “Weighted balls not only challenge your pelvic floor but they teach you where your correct pelvic floor muscles are.”By using kegel balls you’ll get familiar with the sensations of your pelvic floor muscles, and start to understand how strong they are or where there is room for improvement. 2. Better orgasms You might instinctively reach for your best vibrator for a mind-blowing orgasm, but instead, why not try kegel balls to optimize your pleasure? “By activating and relaxing your pelvic floor you can increase blood flow to your vulva, and strengthen the muscles that contract during your orgasms. This can intensify sensations in your vulva and increase the strength of your orgasms,” says Caroline D’arcy, (opens in new tab) a sexologist at EKHO wellbeing.There’s no official scientific evidence to support the claim that kegel balls increase sexual function and satisfaction directly. However, we do know that a healthy pelvic floor can increase the enjoyment of sex. Kegel balls are often cited as being a great tool for erotic anticipation. Wearing them ‘wakes the vagina up’ and stimulates it from the inside and sex experts posit that these contractions boost arousal both before and during…