First, congratulations on starting to do your Kegels! Strong pelvic floor muscles have lots of benefits, from better orgasms to a decreased risk of incontinence. If you haven't already, read through our Kegel instructions (linked in the right sidebar on this page) so you know you're doing the exercises correctly.
Now, on to the tools. You may be wondering why (and if) you even need a tool to do your Kegels. Tools are helpful for several reasons, though they're certainly not required. First, tools act as biofeedback devices. This means that they sit on the muscles you're going to be exercising, so you can feel them lifting when you're exercising the correct muscles. Kegels without using a tool are certainly effective, but many women find that they like having physical reassurance that they're exercising the correct muscles.
Second, Kegel tools function as a weight for your muscles to work against. Think of it this way: if you wanted to increase your bicep strength, you could just do arm curls. However, doing arm curls with a weight of some sort will be far more effective. Kegels work the same way. You can certainly do them without the weight of a tool, but you will not be working your muscles as hard as you would be if you were using a tool.
That said, we sell three different Kegel exercise tools: the Stone Exercise Egg, Energie Exerciser and the Myself Pelvic Floor Trainer. Here's a little bit about each of them.
The Stone Exercise Egg weighs 2.75 ounces and is an excellent choice for anyone who wants something moderately heavy, and who doesn't have urethral sensitivity (there's a string attached that can rub against the urethra). It's about the size of a regular egg, and made of smooth-surfaced stone, making it a good choice for those who want or need very little friction. It's about two fingers wide. We loop a string of regular dental floss onto the attached string, to make your Egg easier to remove. Please make sure to change this floss regularly to keep it clean.
The Energie Exerciser is shaped differently than the other tools, and is by far our heaviest tool (13.75 ounces, but spread over a long surface area). It's long and curved, with a completely smooth surface. If you have any urethral sensitivity or are very friction-sensitive, this would be a good choice for you, since there's no string to drag on the urethra. In addition to its use as a Kegel exercise tool, the Energie is also a great choice for those who want to explore T Zone massage. It's about one finger wide.
The Myself Pelvic Floor Trainer is a lovely, well-engineered tool that is more "high tech" than other tools. It provides feedback so you know right away whether you're doing the exercises correctly, and it adjusts the difficulty level as your muscles become stronger. It's ideal for women with urethral sensitivity since the sensor will not press against the urethra during your exercises. The design also allows the user to comfortably hold the sensor in place during the exercises without having to apply pressure to hold it in. Plus, there's a smiley face that greets you at the beginning of each session.
Once you've chosen your tool, you'll want to coat it with a nice water-based lubricant, then insert it into the vagina until it slips into place behind the pubic bone. For detailed information on how to use your new tool, read through our "How to use a Kegel exercise tool" article, linked in the right sidebar on this page.
Happy exercising!
The Sex Counselor
