Kegel balls have great benefits for your sexual health, as well as being a way to help you deal with incontinence. But if you’ve bought some, you might not be quite sure how to actually use them. Don’t worry, it’s quite a simple process which I’m going to go over now.

How do I get it in?

Putting in a Kegel ball is a lot like putting in a tampon. You need to make sure it’s far enough in that it will sit comfortably without falling out, but not too far in that you might struggle to get it back out again. Due to the size of the Kegel balls, it might be necessary to use a little bit of lube to get them in properly. Be careful though, too much lube might make the balls very slippery and give you some difficulties when it comes to holding them in.

It’s always a good idea to keep a bit of lube on hand while putting anything inside your vagina. Just because it goes in easy today doesn’t mean it’ll be the same tomorrow as your pelvic floor will get tighter over time when using the Kegel balls. Arousal also makes a big difference to how easy it is to put things inside your vagina, as when aroused, it can grow by several inches. While putting small balls inside you might not feel like the sexiest activity to partake in, it might help to get yourself a little turned on before you start. Which lube you use will depend on which Kegel balls you have. There are three main types of lube you can use: Oil based, Water based, and Silicone based.

Oil based lubes tend to be the most long lasting of the three, staying very slippery for extended periods of time. As the vagina is self-lubricating, using an oil based lube with your Kegel balls might make it easy to get them in, but they could be very difficult to hold onto as your natural fluids will keep the balls super slippery throughout.

Water based lube tends to be the easiest kind of lube to clean, and when using it with your Kegel balls you’ll probably find that it dries up quite quickly. This is actually quite useful, as once you’ve inserted your Kegel balls you want to hold onto them rather than them slipping out.

Silicone based lube is kind of a middle ground between the other two. It doesn’t dry out as quickly as water based lube and doesn’t last as long as oil based lube. It can be the nicest of the three to use though as it feels quite soft and silky. The big problem with silicone based lube is that it can’t be used with silicone Kegel balls as it will break down the material and can leave all kinds of horrible bacteria and germs inside your body.

Of the three I’d probably recommend water based lube, but it can be a bit of trial and error as a lot of people react differently to the different types so find what works for you. With your lube in hand, get your balls nice and covered, then slide them in. If you still find that you’re having trouble getting the balls in even with lube and a little foreplay, it can be worth trying a smaller size of balls. Everyone is different after all. If even then you still can’t get them in very easily, you might already have quite a tight pelvic floor, or even be suffering from vaginismus. Vaginismus is a disorder in which any time anything tries to enter the vagina, the muscles of the pelvic floor completely tense up, making it difficult or even impossible to fit anything inside. This is completely out of the woman’s control, and will require the assistance of specialised doctors to deal with. In any situation where even small Kegel balls are giving you a lot of trouble, I’d recommend consulting a doctor before continuing any Kegel regime to make sure there aren’t any underlying issues.

What do I do once they’re in?

Once you’ve got the Kegel balls into your vagina and you feel comfortable with them, then there are two different paths you can take. Which kind of Kegel ball you’ve purchased can influence this decision, as some are designed to be used in different ways. For some, it’s simply a matter of performing your Kegel exercises. These are exactly the same as when you don’t use Kegel balls, just clench the pelvic floor muscles, hold for around ten seconds, then release. Repeat ten times and you’re done! You can then take the Kegel balls back out. This option is usually the case for traditional Kegel balls as well as duotone balls containing a smaller ball. The movements of your exercises let the second ball roll around, giving quite pleasant sensations while you exercise.

The other option is to just simply hold your Kegel balls in place. Some people like to leave them in for longer periods, as simply holding the weight of the ball in place can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. This is particularly true if you’ve bought the vaginal weight variety of Kegel balls. These are designed to simply be held in place and naturally work the muscles. Sometimes people get so comfortable wearing these, they feel like going out and about wearing them. If this sounds like something you want to try, have a go at a few small jobs while wearing the balls. Pay attention to your body though, and if it feels like it’s starting to hurt, or your vagina is getting a bit tired out, then remove the balls and give it some time to rest. The other type of balls that people tend to just leave in rather than actively using are vibrating ones. These tend to fall more into the category of sex toy than Kegel device though, so it makes sense that you’d just want to play around with them rather than focusing on exercising.

How often to do Kegel exercises

A good Kegel exercise regime involves performing your Kegels every single day. Doctors all over the world recommend you make them a part of your everyday life, as they can have great health benefits, especially as you get older, so the sooner you start, the better the benefits.

How many should I do

Most of the time it is recommended to do a set of ten Kegels, three times a day. You should be aiming to hold each Kegel for up to ten seconds. When you are just starting out, it may be a little too much to hold them for that long, or to do ten in a session. Your pelvic floor muscles need to rest after each Kegel in order for them to strengthen properly, just like any other muscle in your body. This means that if you start to feel pain or tiredness in your pelvic floor during your set of Kegels, you should probably stop and rest to give the muscles time to recover.

The most important thing is to keep doing them consistently and daily. If you find yourself only able to hold them for five seconds per Kegel and only do five before it becomes too much, then start with three sets of five per day. When you feel comfortable with that, increase it to six. Keep adding more until you reach ten Kegels three times a day, and before you know it, your pelvic floor will be as good as new!

There isn’t a great deal more to using Kegel balls than this. They are probably one of the simplest exercise tools to use, and the benefits can be staggering. So if you’ve been thinking about trying them, the best thing to do is just have a go because there really isn’t anything scary about Kegel balls.