Kegel Trainers: Kegel Weights & Kegel Balls- Untold Darkside 

by Courtney Virden

Kegel exercises have long been associated with women, often prescribed for achieving vaginal tightness. What has become increasingly popular are Kegel trainers, commonly known as Kegel weights, Kegel balls (Ben Wa balls), vaginal weights, Kegel egg weights, and Noni eggs, all designed to enhance Kegels. However, a deeper exploration of both genders raises questions about their universal benefits and potential dangers.

Let’s delve into the intricacies of Kegel exercises, their impact, and alternative approaches for pelvic floor health.

Kegel Weights for Pelvic Floor Exercises

Picture this: you’re at the gym, but instead of lifting weights or running on a treadmill, you’re engaging in a workout that targets muscles you might not even know exist. Welcome to the world of Kegel exercises, where the focus is on tightening and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles—the ones you use to stop your urine mid-stream.

Sounds simple, right? Well, not quite. Despite their reputation as a go-to solution for bladder and bowel issues, many people struggle to find the right muscles when doing them. And here’s the kicker: instead of solely targeting the pelvic floor, these exercises often trigger unintended contractions in your abdomen, thighs, or even your buttocks. Plus, there are signs of overdoing them, and it gets confusing because some of those same symptoms would have you thinking you need Kegels.

Types of Kegel Trainers and Kegel Devices

• Vaginal Cones – Designed so women insert them and then contract their pelvic floor so the cone doesn’t slide out. There are also weighted vaginal cones.
• Kegel Weights – Similar to vaginal cones, and are designed for women to do a Kegel exercise with the weight. Tighten the pelvic floor for 5 seconds and then relax for 5. There are Kegel weights for beginners. Some refer to them as pussy weights, vaginal weights, or Kegel weight lifting.
• Kegel Monitors/Games – Designed as Kegel exercise systems for women to contract the pelvic floor repeatedly. Some are made of medical-grade silicone and designed to be used daily for contractions.

When you use internal devices, you want to insert the weights/devices with a water-based lubricant. The best weights for Kegel exercises and pelvic weights will have an internal monitor to help you track the Kegel sets you do and monitor tension.

For those with pelvic organ prolapse, muscle contractions can be helpful to strengthen your pelvic floor. Just ensure you aren’t holding your breath when doing Kegel exercises. Many use them for bladder control and repeat them several times a day. If you have poor bladder control because of low tone, they can help significantly. But if your leakage is from too much tension and a hypertonic pelvic floor, it can worsen it.

While pelvic floor weights and Kegel pelvic exercise weights are suitable for some women and men, for others, they make issues worse or create pelvic floor dysfunction. If you have low tone throughout the pelvic floor, consult a PT and go for the Kegel exercises or devices. The right healthcare practitioner is going to help you monitor your tension in the pelvic floor. Remember that they are one exercise, and your pelvic floor has many muscles. Ideally, you would also be doing other pelvic floor exercises that train with multiple planes of motion.

Kegel Exercise Weights & the Dark Truth

With repetitive concentric contractions—tightening those muscles repeatedly—comes the risk of overdoing it. For some women, especially those who are already dealing with a tight pelvic floor, this can lead to painful intercourse or discomfort long after the bedroom lights have dimmed. Those with conditions like vaginismus, characterized by intense pain during penetration, might find traditional Kegels more of a hindrance than a help.

While many associate bladder control with a low-tone pelvic floor, sometimes the leakage is due to excessive tension. Kegels will make that worse. Sexual health is influenced by our pelvic floor strength. Signs of overdoing Kegels would be signs of a hypertonic pelvic floor or other new issues arising.

And here’s the real plot twist: while you might be reaching for that Kegel trainer or monitor hoping to achieve a tighter pelvic floor, you could be missing the bigger picture. Pelvic floor muscles aren’t just about preventing leaks—they’re the unsung heroes of dynamic support and movement. And relying solely on Kegels or mechanical aids won’t cut it. They might even contribute to a hypertonic pelvic floor, where those muscles are locked in a perpetual state of tightness.

A tight pelvic floor is a weak pelvic floor. Vaginal muscles are designed to be strong, toned, and responsive. A tight pelvic floor often leads to pelvic pain, painful intercourse, lower back pain, and even bladder leakage.

Kegels and women’s Kegel weights might be suitable for some, but they should be avoided for many. With a low-tone pelvic floor, vaginal cone therapy can be beneficial. However, once the pelvic floor has enough tone, if you perform Kegels, it can become too tight. And unless you are seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist, you might not know it is a problem.

The only time I recommend Kegels or Kegel weights for woman is in conjunction with in person physical therapy. Then, the therapist can help monitor tension and ensure the weighted pelvic cones or kegel exercise weights create a problem. Or even worse, making existing problems worse! But there are some good options for those for whom it is appropriate. Just ensure you listen to your body.

Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor – Kegel Cones or Something Better?

So, what’s the solution? It’s all about embracing a more dynamic approach to pelvic floor health—targeting those muscles from all angles and in all planes of motion. Because let’s face it: a strong and responsive pelvic floor isn’t just about tighter muscles. It’s about supporting your body in everything from walking to lifting to, yes, even intimacy.

So, the next time you think about your pelvic floor, don’t just think tight—think strong, responsive, and dynamic. And remember, with the right tools and techniques, you can unlock a whole new world of pelvic floor health. Some will incorporate Kegel balls or Kegel weights along with other pelvic floor exercises. For others, pelvic floor stretches and strengthening will be part of pelvic floor exercises.

It is essential to listen to your body and address what is going on with your pelvic floor. Pelvic health is important; improving it can improve your quality of life.

will connect with your pelvic floor, use the correct muscles, and begin to feel it respond. The exercises in my sequenced online pelvic floor programs have both movements designed to build healthy pelvic floor muscles. Start now and get your strongest and most responsive pelvic floor.