Exercising the perineum with geisha balls

"Super intense orgasms", "maintaining vaginal health", "improving, correcting or preventing bladder weakness". If I believed this advertising pitch, I would have bought a pelvic floor exerciser a long time ago. Vaginal cones or geisha balls are one form. They are available in a wide variety of designs and can vary in weight, shape, size and material. Once inserted, they act as a kind of dumbbell for your pelvic floor and are designed to help build and strengthen muscles. Mirjam Stauffer, physiotherapist and head of the pelvic floor rehabilitation department at Zurich University Hospital, tells me what autonomic training is all about and what you need to look out for.

When is training useful?

According to Stauffer, targeted training of the perineum - learning how to contract and relax it with or without vaginal weight - can be useful in many situations. For example, if a woman already has a good feeling for her pelvic floor muscles and wants to strengthen them and their perception. "Training can also be recommended in cases of mild incontinence, i.e. loss of urine when coughing, sneezing or jumping.tern or jumping, before and after childbirth, when there is pain in the pelvic or lumbar region, when there are problems with having a bowel movement or when there are problems with pelvic statics."

Stauffer points out, however, that training weights can be counterproductive for women with organ descent or who don't have a toned perineum. Weights add even more downward tension. If your vagina is quite open and a tampon doesn't fit properly, your vaginal walls are not very toned. Sometimes it's the gynaecologist who notices this. Women who are not yet aware of their perineum should only train under the guidance of a specialist. To ensure that weight training is the right choice, it is best to consult a specialist physiotherapist beforehand.

When it comes to sexual promise, Stauffer dispels the myth: "Good perceptive ability in the genital area is one of many factors for fulfilling sexuality. The ability to perceive can be trained using vaginal weights. However, this has no influence on the ability to orgasm. It's just a sales pitch with no scientific reference."

Training properly

As every vagina is different, not all training accessories will suit you. Because of the female anatomy, Mirjam Stauffer recommends tapered models instead. These are easier to insert. In her opinion, balls can exert too much tension on the vaginal tissue.

Pelvic floor muscle trainers

EUR40,16

FeelzToys FemmeFit

50 -130 g

33

Pelvic floor muscle trainers

EUR40,16

FeelzToys FemmeFit

50 -130 g

33

"If insertion is unpleasant, the lubricant helps. What's important is to relax well during insertion and removal and above all not to want to push. "Unpleasant downward pressure is a sign that the weight is too high. To achieve measurable strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles, i.e. relief of your symptoms, you need to exercise every day for two to three months. How you organise your exercises depends on what you want to improve. As a general rule, according to Stauffer, three sets of 10-12 repetitions with at least one minute's rest between each set are recommended. You contract your perineum, then release it. Start with the lightest weight and gradually increase. If you can easily do three sets, you can use a heavier weight.

The intensity of your training varies according to your goal. If you want a more muscular perineum, increase the number of repetitions and the duration of the contractions. Or you could repeat the three sets two or three times during the day. If you just want to improve your perineal awareness, there's no need to increase the weight: "For training, you don't necessarily need to buy weights. The kit works just as well with a pad. You just insert it and contract and relax the perineum," says Stauffer. Some manufacturers state that the pelvic floor can easily be trained with vaginal weights while doing nothing or during sporting activity. Stauffer explains: "In my opinion, the first case is useless. Especially if it's a question of improving sensation or strength. During sport, I would advise doing without vaginal weights altogether, as the pelvic floor is already under enough strain from the activity."

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