Pelvic floor weakness is epidemic in our culture. We are constantly bombarded with ads for women’s diapers and ambiguous terms like “sensitive bladder.” It is not that the bladder has become thoughtful or neurotic, the issue often originates in weakened pelvic floor muscles. These muscles hold up our internal organs, keep our uterus, bladder, and rectum from descending, and control the passage of urine and feces, and the intensity of contraction during orgasm.
Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor include: urinating when you sneeze or lift weight, a protruding uterus, and weak orgasms. A pelvic floor strengthening program can help avoid and even reverse these issues. Every woman should work to keep her pelvic floor toned. It becomes critical after childbirth and as we approach menopause.
Kegels alone may not be enough stimulus to fully activate and develop your muscles. (Kegels are exercises where you simply tense and lift up, then release your vaginal muscles for a series of repetitions.) An external tool or weight greatly intensifies muscle activation similarly to using a weight to tone other muscles on your body. There are several tools to choose from:
Jade Eggs
These are the original pelvic floor exercisers used for thousands of years by Chinese Daoists and courtesans. These are egg-shaped stones, historically made out of jade. They both offer tactile feedback and weighted resistance. Pelvic strengthening is considered an essential part of women’s cultivation and self-care in Daoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not only does it prevent many health conditions associated with older age, it stimulates the gynecological organs and production of sex hormones (which keep us young).
Laselle Kegel Routine and Luna Mini Beads
Laselle Kegel beads are a modern version of beng wa balls (内用球, nèi yòng qiú, another Chinese pelvic floor exerciser). The Laselle Kegel beads are small hollow balls that contain smaller weighted balls inside. This causes the ball to emit a vibration when the vaginal muscles are contracted, giving feedback, as well as weighted resistance. Luna Mini beads are smaller than the Laselle Kegel Routine.
Buy Luna Mini Beads
Buy Laselle Kegel Routine
KegelSmart
The KegelSmart is an interactive device that reads the strength of the vaginal muscles and chooses the most appropriate of its 5 programs. The device emits a series of vibrations. Tightening the muscles during the vibration and relaxing during the intervals strongly stimulates the muscles to start firing more efficiently and intensely. It is the same concept as is used during acupuncture or physical therapy to revive an atrophied muscle whereby an alternating current is applied with concurrent muscle contraction.
