Life
6 Ways To Get Your Vaginal Fitness On
A particularly awesome, sex-positive friend of mine donated a bunch of money to the sexual health company Minna for their pelvic floor exerciser, the kGoal, and they sent her two as her reward. She only has one vagina, though, so she gave the other one to me! It’s a pelvic floor exerciser that’s attached to app designed to help you get your vaginal fitness on. Yup, you read that right: vaginal fitness. Just like any other muscle in your body, your vagina can get stronger or weaker, depending on what you do with it.
You’ve probably heard of kegels already, right? They’re those squeezes you do with the muscles of your pelvic floor in order to make it strong. The best way to explain how to do one, for those of you who aren’t already squeezing away, is to activate the muscle that you would use to stop peeing midstream. Feel it? That’s a kegel! They’re great for women who have recently given birth, women who have issues with incontinence, and for some women, stronger pelvic muscles translate into stronger orgasms, and who doesn’t want that?
But back to this gift from my friend. First of all, let’s talk about the kGoal app. It’s a lot like a regular fitness app, with instructions on how to use the kGoal itself as well as goals and reminders about how you’re doing. Unfortunately my kGoal didn’t want to pair with the app, so I didn’t get to play any of the games. However, you don’t need the app in order for the kGoal to give you feedback. All you have to do is inflate the “comfort pillow” inside your body and squeeze away! The kGoal vibrates based on how hard you’re squeezing, which pretty much means you get a little reward for your effort. I did it for a few minutes, testing out different levels, before deciding that enough was enough for today. (So… Kind of like a regular workout, really.) I’m going to keep trying to connect with the app, though, because the idea of squeezing my vagina in order to play a game is just too awesome to not do.
There were a couple of downsides to the kGoal other than the app pairing difficulty, mainly that I think it’s just a bit large. While the “comfort pillow” deflates, the tip of the kGoal is rigid and pretty wide around. Insertion wasn’t too bad (although definitely use lube) but once it was inserted I immediately felt like I had to pee, which wasn’t a great sensation, and taking it out was really uncomfortable. (Apparently I’m not the only one with this issue: Arielle Duhaime-Ross at The Verge had a similar experience when she tried it.) However, it’s totally possible that this could be one of those things that gets easier the more you do it and it’s also important to remember that every woman’s body is different, so what didn’t work for me might work great for you. Basically, you can’t know unless you try it!
It’s also important to note that I’ve never had a child, nor have I had issues with incontinence or strength of pelvic floor muscles in general. As a result, I wasn’t super invested in making the kGoal work for me. I think that other women who have more issues in that area would probably benefit more from it and be more committed to making it work.
The kGoal goes for $149 on the Minna website and if you’re the kind of person who really likes to track stuff closely, it’s definitely a good investment. However, like I said, it’s not the only vaginal fitness tool out there. Here are five more, with a range of functionalities and prices. Go get your fitness on!
1. vSculpt
vSculpt is another app-connected vaginal fitness tool. Instead of focusing on kegels, the vSculpt uses therapeutic light, gentle heat, and sonic vibration to help your vagina heal. The results are a stronger pelvic floor, without the kegels!
2. Classic Ben Wa Balls
Some people say that ben wa balls are the oldest sex toy there is. The originals were created in Japan out of metal and had mercury inside them that shifted as a woman moved but today they come in all kinds of materials, although it’s safe to say that mercury is generally out. That movement alone is enough to build up both pelvic floor muscles and arousal. You should be able to find ben wa balls at any sex shop, either in person or online.
Ben Wa Balls, $18, Babeland
3. LUNA Beads from LELO
LELO’s LUNA Beads are their take on the classic ben wa ball, which have been used for centuries to help women build up strength in their vaginas.They’re weighted beads that “gently and secretly” vibrate based on your movements and help you build a stronger pelvic floor super secretly!
LUNA Beads, $64, Babeland
4. Fun Wand Metal Dildo
The Fun Wand Metal Dildo from Good Vibrations is a multi functional toy that has three bulbs on one end for anal play and a curved other end for G-spot stimulation. It’s considered good for building pelvic floor muscles because it weighs more than half pound, which means that just using it for sexy times will automatically hep your vaginal fitness.
5. Lovehoney Main Squeeze Single Kegel Ball
The Lovehoney Main Squeeze Single Kegel Ball weighs 30 grams and, like a classic ben wa ball, moves as you move. You can keep it inserted whenever you want, providing a little titillation with your “workout.”
Main Squeeze, $19.99, Lovehoney
Want more sexual health coverage? Check out Bustle's new podcast, Honestly Though, which tackles all the questions you're afraid to ask.
Images: Andrew Zaeh/Bustle; Minna; vSculpt; Babeland; LELO; Good Vibrations; Lovehoney
