Kegel Balls & Pelvic Floor

Kegel balls, also sold as pelvic floor trainers or love balls, are weights worn inside the vagina so the muscles around them have something to hold. Used for a few minutes a day they strengthen the pelvic floor, which helps with bladder control after childbirth or with age, and for many women makes orgasm stronger. This guide explains how to choose a weight, a size and a type, and how to use them so they actually do something.

Why the pelvic floor matters

The pelvic floor is the sling of muscle that holds the bladder, uterus and bowel in place. It weakens with pregnancy, birth, menopause, heavy lifting and simply years, and the first sign is usually a leak when laughing, coughing or running. Training it is the same as training any muscle: regular, gradual resistance. Balls give the muscle something to grip and make it obvious whether the squeeze is working.

Weight and progression

A first ball weighs around 30 to 50 grams. Sets with several weights, or a shell that takes different inner weights, let you move up over weeks; a single heavy ball is not a shortcut, it is a ball that falls out. If a ball slips downward while standing, it is too heavy or too small for now. If you cannot feel it at all, it is time to move up.

Singles are easier to hold than doubles and suit a first attempt. Doubles, two balls joined, tug against each other as you move and give the muscle more to do.

Size and shape

Most balls are 30 to 36 millimetres across. Smaller and lighter is right after childbirth or for anyone new to them; larger balls are easier to hold and suit a body that has had children. A retrieval cord is essential; it is the only thing that gets the ball out easily if the muscle is tired.

Weighted, vibrating and app guided

Plain weighted balls are the classic and all you need for training. Vibrating balls add sensation and can be worn for pleasure rather than exercise, with a remote or an app. App guided trainers have a pressure sensor and show each squeeze on a phone, with programmes that build over weeks; they cost more and are the choice for anyone who wants to see progress or has been told by a physiotherapist to train properly.

Material

Platinum silicone, fully coated with no seams, is the right choice: non porous, smooth, and easy to sterilise. Bare metal or glass weights are heavy and smooth, for experienced users. Avoid plastic shells with visible joins and cords of braided fabric; both hold bacteria.

How to use them

Insert with a little water based lubricant, cord outside, and stand up. Squeeze and lift as if stopping a stream of urine, hold for a few seconds, release. Ten to fifteen minutes a day, standing or walking, is plenty; longer does not help and can tire the muscle. Take them out afterwards; they are not for wearing all day. Most women notice a difference in four to six weeks.

Wait for the six week check after childbirth, and speak to a doctor first with prolapse, an IUD that has just been fitted, an infection, or pain.

Care

Wash with warm water and mild soap before and after every use. Silicone can be boiled or cleaned with a toy cleaner; vibrating and sensor balls are washed by hand. Dry fully and store in the case.

Frequently asked questions