Top accessories for strengthening your pelvic floor

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles in the pelvis. People with vulvas and people with penises both have one, and it does a lot of work in the lower part of our bodies...

For example, it helps prevent pelvic organ prolapse and controls the opening and closing of your bladder. Yes, it’s the one to thank when the next motorway services are more than 30 minutes away and you’re already doing a little dance in your seat!

Oh, and I nearly forgot: despite all the articles and discussions on the subject, it’s not often said, but your pelvic floor is a great ally when it comes to sexual pleasure!

How can you strengthen your pelvic floor? 

With Kegel balls, your ideal pelvic-floor workout partners:

Made of glass, metal or silicone, it’s a weighted accessory that makes your pelvic floor contract to hold it in place.

The Lina balls are perfect for maintaining pelvic floor strength. Their weight means you’ll need some pelvic floor tone already. Using them couldn’t be simpler: clean your Kegel balls, or Ben Wa balls, before use, apply some water-based lube, then insert them into the vagina. Carry on with your usual activities for half an hour, then repeat 3 times a week for a month.

Another option, and not one to overlook, is the famous Perifit: a pelvic floor device that acts like a personal coach, helping to strengthen your pelvic floor while you play games on its connected app.

With certain Kegel balls, you can take it step by step:

The Delta come in three weights and are very comfortable to wear thanks to their ultra-soft silicone coating. Start by inserting the single ball with some lube. Wear it for half an hour while staying active, and repeat 3 to 4 times a week. Once it feels easy to wear, move on to the medium double ball, then finish with the small double ball.

The Alpha offer an even more gradual progression. The set contains 6 Kegel balls, used in exactly the same way as the Delta. Start with the palest-coloured ball and work your way up to the darkest. The big advantage of the Alpha is their teardrop shape, which makes the Kegel balls easier to insert and remove!

When and why should you exercise your pelvic floor? 

• At any time, whatever your age or lifestyle:

I can hear you now: “That’s all very nice, but it’s hardly a clear-cut example!” Don’t worry, I haven’t missed that. There’s actually a reason I’m being so “vague”. The pelvic floor is a muscle like any other: it needs exercise to work effectively. Every day, you walk and move around, working your leg muscles without even noticing. It’s a different story for your pelvic floor. It doesn’t get worked quite so easily, so you need to give it a little help regularly!

• When you exercise :

Why? Quite simply, physical activity puts pressure on the pelvic floor. Over time, if you don’t know how to contract it properly, it can weaken and become less effective. How can you tell it’s starting to cry for help? Urinary leaks, for example!

• To prepare for pregnancy:

As your little one grows, the combined weight of your baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid puts increasing pressure on your pelvic floor. So it’s important to give Mr Pelvic Floor a workout to stay as comfortable as possible and, again, help prevent urinary leaks.

• To strengthen your pelvic floor after childbirth :

As I’ve explained, pregnancy weakens your pelvic floor. So does childbirth! That’s why people are generally advised to start exercising their pelvic floor again 6 to 8 weeks after their baby arrives. Of course, that timeframe is only a guide: you should discuss it with a healthcare professional, who can advise you based on your circumstances.

• To counter pelvic floor weakening during menopause:

Hormonal changes affect your pelvic floor. Oestrogen levels plummet during menopause. That’s perfectly normal, so don’t panic! Less oestrogen means the pelvic floor can become thinner and lose muscle tone. That’s one possible reason for urinary leaks. So it’s important to keep exercising your pelvic floor to avoid any unpleasant surprises!

• To increase sexual pleasure:

During orgasm, the pelvic floor contracts intermittently. You may feel these contractions as spasms! The stronger your pelvic floor, the more you’ll feel during sex and the more intense your orgasms may be. The pelvic floor also helps maintain the tone of the vaginal walls, which can increase pleasure for your partner too.

Common misconceptions 

Most of you know what the pelvic floor is, or have at least heard of it, but there are still plenty of misconceptions about it. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you sort fact from fiction!

• “Only women have a pelvic floor”

Wrong! Dear penis owners, your pelvic floor may be under less pressure and need less work to stay in shape than it does for people with vulvas, but you still need to look after it. Your pelvic floor provides essential support for your sphincters. In other words, it helps your urethra and anus close properly. Now you know, you can take action and strengthen your pelvic floor to avoid any “embarrassing accidents”. You’re welcome ;)

When it comes to sex, it also helps maintain an erection and makes ejaculation possible!

Now that I have your full attention, ready for a few workout tips? First things first: empty your bladder! Then get into whichever position you prefer: sitting, standing or lying down. Take a deep breath and contract your pelvic floor (as you naturally would if you were trying to hold in a wee) for 5 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times in a row. In the shower or while stopped at a red light, it’s quick and easy. It’s really worth doing, I promise!:)

• “I only need to think about it when I’m pregnant”

Wrong again! As I explained earlier, you can work on your pelvic floor in all sorts of situations, whatever your age or current circumstances.

• “I don’t need to buy anything; I can do exercises on my own”

Both true and false!

While there are exercises you can do on your own, it can be hard to tell whether you’re working your pelvic floor effectively. And there’s some advice you should DEFINITELY NOT FOLLOW! You often hear that all you need to do to strengthen your pelvic floor is practise “stopping your wee” by interrupting the flow of urine. In plain English, that means contracting your pelvic floor to hold your wee in when you need to go. Long recommended as a way to check whether your pelvic floor is strong enough, it’s actually an excellent way to end up with a urinary tract infection. The bacteria in your urine don’t get flushed out as they normally would, and then... disaster!

Pelvic floor rehabilitation: see a professional!

The advice you’ve read in this article can help you strengthen your pelvic floor. It is absolutely not a pelvic floor rehabilitation programme.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation must be carried out with support from a healthcare professional. Whether it’s a doctor, gynaecologist, midwife or physiotherapist, they—and only they—can guide you through your rehabilitation.

Let’s give your pelvic floor some TLC!

See you soon 💜