Kegel Exercises: What They Are, How to Do Them & How Toys Help

Kegel exercises don't always come up in conversations about sex toys, but they probably should. The pelvic floor — the group of muscles these exercises target — plays a direct role in sexual sensation, orgasm intensity, and comfort during penetration. Understanding how to work with it, rather than ignore it, is genuinely useful for almost everyone.

What Is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a hammock-like group of muscles that sits at the base of your pelvis, supporting the bladder, bowel, and uterus (in people who have one). These muscles contract during orgasm, control urinary flow, and affect the sensation of internal penetration — both for the person being penetrated and, indirectly, for a partner.
Kegel exercises are contractions of these muscles, named after gynaecologist Arnold Kegel, who developed them in the late 1940s.

Why Do Kegels?
Strong, well-toned pelvic floor muscles are associated with:

More intense orgasms — the muscles that contract during climax are stronger, producing a more noticeable sensation
Increased vaginal sensitivity — better muscle awareness translates to more nuanced sensation during penetration
Improved bladder control — particularly relevant after childbirth or with age
Faster recovery postpartum — a key clinical reason these exercises are widely recommended
Better comfort with penetrative toys — a toned pelvic floor responds differently to internal pressure than a weak or overly tense one

It's worth noting that the pelvic floor can be too tight as well as too weak. Hypertonic (overly tense) pelvic floor muscles can cause pain during penetration. If you experience discomfort with penetrative toys or sex, it may be worth speaking to a pelvic floor physiotherapist rather than assuming more Kegels are the answer.

How to Do a Kegel
The basic movement: squeeze the muscles you'd use to stop urinating midstream, hold for 3–5 seconds, then fully release. That's one rep.
The release is just as important as the squeeze — many people focus only on the contraction and skip the relaxation phase, which can contribute to muscle tension over time.
A simple starter routine:

10 slow contractions (hold 5 seconds, release 5 seconds)
10 fast contractions (squeeze and release quickly)
Repeat once or twice daily

The key is consistency. Results typically become noticeable after 6–8 weeks of regular practice.

Kegel Exercisers: What Are They?
Kegel exercisers — sometimes called vaginal barbells, kegel balls, or Ben Wa balls — are devices designed to help you train the pelvic floor with resistance, in the same way that weights add resistance to other muscle exercises.
Ben Wa balls are hollow metal balls inserted vaginally that can be worn for extended periods. The gentle movement of the internal rolling creates subtle sensation and mild muscular engagement as the body works to hold them in place.
More modern kegel exercisers are often made from body-safe silicone, come in graduated weights, and sometimes include an app-connected biofeedback feature that tells you how you're doing in real time.
These devices aren't purely functional, either — many users report that they enhance arousal and internal sensitivity over time.

The Connection to Anal Health
The pelvic floor doesn't only affect vaginal function. The same muscles are involved in anal sphincter control, and pelvic floor awareness is directly relevant to comfortable anal play. If you're exploring that territory, our anal toys guide is worth reading alongside this one — the two topics genuinely complement each other.

Where Kegels Fit Into Your Broader Toy Practice
Think of kegel work as maintenance and enhancement for everything else. Whether you're using a dildo, exploring strap-on play, or enjoying glass toys for their precise internal stimulation, your pelvic floor is part of the experience. Building awareness of those muscles tends to make everything more intentional — and more pleasurable.

The Takeaway
Kegel exercises are simple, free, and genuinely effective — but they work best when done correctly and consistently. If you want to add a kegel exerciser to your routine, start with something lightweight and well-reviewed, and treat it like any other fitness tool: progress gradually, listen to your body, and don't skip the recovery (the release phase, in this case).
Your pelvic floor does a lot for you. It's worth paying it some attention.