Kegel Exercises: A Complete Guide to What, How and Why

Kegel exercises are something many of us have heard of but most of us know very little about and at Naughty North we want to change that. The fact is that doing Kegel exercises and strengthening your pelvic floor can do amazing things for your sex life and overall health, so read on while we go over what a Kegel exercise is, what your pelvic floor does, and how to keep it fit!

WHAT IS A KEGEL EXERCISE?

A Kegel is not a muscle or part of your body. It’s an exercise that was developed back in the 1940s by Dr. Arnold Kegel to help with urinary incontinence through a sequence of clenching and unclenching your pelvic floor or pubococcygeal (PC for short) muscle. What began as an exercise to stop you peeing when you sneeze was soon discovered to help people’s sex lives as well. More on that little gem later.

WHAT ARE YOUR PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES?

Think of your pelvic floor muscles like the hammock that keeps all the organs in your pelvis supported – your uterus, bladder, and bowel. They are what you use to control your bladder or bowel movements, or when you stop yourself from farting in public. They are the same muscles that contract when you have an orgasm.

With all these important tasks to keep up, it’s no surprise that weakened pelvic muscles can lead to all kinds of unpleasant problems like loss of bladder or bowel control, loss of feeling during sex, and painful sex.

HOW CAN KEGEL EXERCISES IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE?

Since your pelvic floor muscles contract when you have an orgasm, by strengthening them you are looking at some major benefits. The more toned those muscles get, the easier it will be for your body to achieve orgasm, with some folks reporting an increased ability for multiple orgasms as well. That same control and awareness is also what can help those experiencing painful intercourse learn to relax those vaginal muscles and achieve some relief.

Another amazing benefit of Kegel exercises is getting blood flowing in your vagina and pelvic floor. Increased blood circulation can help increase sexual arousal and can increase vaginal lubrication (wetness).

HOW TO FIND YOUR PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES

What’s the point of doing Kegel exercises if you’re not using the correct muscles? To figure out what exactly you’re looking for, try these tips.

1. Try to stop yourself peeing mid-stream. Those are your pelvic floor muscles. DON’T use this method to exercise them, however. It can lead to bladder issues.
2. Find the muscles that you use to stop from passing gas – don’t pretend you don’t know what we’re talking about!
3. Remember that you should have a feeling of pulling up, rather than bearing down as you would for a bowel movement.
4. While sitting, envision sitting on a marble and trying to pick it up with your pelvic floor muscles
5. Make sure all your other muscles are relaxed – your thighs, stomach and buttocks should still be unmoving
6. Put a finger in your vagina. You should feel some contracting of the vagina.
7. Keep a hand on your stomach to make sure you’re not engaging your stomach muscles

HOW TO DO KEGEL EXERCISES

• Start by laying down so you can really get the feel for what you’re doing. You can work up to sitting or standing once you are more comfortable isolating the correct muscles.
• Contract your muscles 3 to 5 seconds
• Relax 3 to 5 seconds
• Repeat this cycle 10 times
• Add 1 second each week, working your way up to holding then relaxing for 10 seconds at a time
• Work your way up to 30 to 40 repetitions throughout the day.
• Make it a part of your daily routine.

WHAT IS A KEGEL EXERCISE DEVICE?

Kegel exercisers go by many names: Ben Wa Balls, Kegel Balls, Pleasure Balls, Love Balls, just to name a few. The variety is confusing, but the basic idea is always the same: holding something in your vagina which you can contract around to strengthen those pelvic floor muscles. These devices can be incredibly helpful if you’re having trouble isolating the correct muscles or if you want to have something you can work against to know you’re doing the exercises correctly.

The other tremendous bonus of a Kegel exercise device is that it can stimulate your g-spot as well as all those sensitive tissues internally, so it can be incredibly arousing as well as beneficial.

Here are a few Naughty North favourites you can consider if you want to try some Kegel exercisers.

SHE-OLOGY INTERCHANGEABLE WEIGHTED KEGEL SET

This set is fantastic because it is easy to insert and there is a retrieval cord to help take them out as well. There are 6 different weighted balls included as well as two straps – one which holds one ball, one holds two balls. This gives you tons of variety so you can work your way up in weight. This set also has a user’s guide to help you along.

MANGO 3 PIECE SILICONE KEGEL TRAINING SET

If you want something simple to start with, this 3-piece set is great. Each ball is progressively heavier and made of silky silicone with a flexible silicone retrieval cord attached. You can only insert one ball at a time, so you don’t get as many options, but this is a great, affordable kit to get you started.

WRISTBAND REMOTE SILICONE REMOTE CONTROL VIBRATING KEGEL SYSTEM

This system is great if you want some vibration with your exercises. The bonus of vibration is that it can help stimulate the delicate tissues and muscles internally to get that blood really flowing. It also feels amazing against your g-spot. This set has a remote control that looks like a sports watch so you can do your Kegel exercises by day and indulge in some date night naughty fun time in the evening as well.

To find Naughty North's great selection of Kegel Exercisers, click the link below