Vaginal weights | Pelvic Exercises

These 7 simple steps teach you how to use vaginal weights correctly for more effective pelvic floor exercises

Vaginal weights can be used actively for improved pelvic floor exercises. Active strengthening means lifting and lowering the vaginal weights using your pelvic floor muscles ( just like using weights in the gym). This contrasts with some common advice to insert vaginal weights without actually doing pelvic floor exercises – a far less effective way of strengthening pelvic floor muscles. Smart balls

What are vaginal weights?

Vaginal weights are weights especially designed to fit within the vagina. Ideally they should sit above the pelvic floor muscles within the vagina so that they can promote increased pelvic floor muscle strength by providing resistance to pelvic floor exercises.

The different types of vaginal weights include:

Vaginal balls or pelvic exercise balls such as Smart balls (shown above) and Luna Beads (shown below). Pelvic exercise balls are a useful option for some women as they are more readily retained within the vagina than the vaginal cones for pelvic floor exercises. This is often the case for women who have had vaginal deliveries. Each ball has a designated weight and often two balls can be used together to increase the weight lifted.

Kegel balls

Vaginal cones such as Aquaflex Pelvic Floor Exercise System (shown below) are a useful option for progressive pelvic floor strengthening as they offer the flexibility of incrementally increasing or decreasing the weight lifted as desired. This allows for progressive increases in resistance with improved pelvic floor muscle strength. Vaginal cones can be better suited to women who have not had vaginal deliveries as the cones are smaller and are at times less readily retained in the vagina when exercising upright.

Aquaflex

How to use vaginal weights

The following strength training guidelines have been adapted for pelvic floor muscle exercises from the widely accepted general muscle strength training guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine¹ .

Step 1

Place either a vaginal cone, Smartballs or Luna Beads inside your vagina (a little like inserting a tampon), start with that size weight you can confidently lift using your pelvic floor muscles standing upright. Never start with the heaviest weight you can lift to avoid overloading and/or injuring your pelvic floor muscles.

Step 2

Lift and squeeze your chosen vaginal weight inside your vagina using your pelvic floor muscles for between 3-10 seconds, then lower the weight back to resting position and completely relax your pelvic floor muscles.

Step 3

Rest your pelvic floor muscles until they are fully recovered from your effort. This may take 30-45 seconds and this is vital to avoid over fatiguing your pelvic floor.

Step 4

Repeat this action of squeezing, lifting and fully relaxing your pelvic floor muscles up to 8-12 times in a row if you can for one full set of exercises.

Step 5

Repeat up to 3 sets of exercises on your training day if you are able to.

Step 6

Use your weights on alternate training days for 2 days per week. A rest day will help your pelvic floor muscles fully recover and maximise the effectiveness of your training.

Step 7

Gradually increase the amount weight you lift as your pelvic floor muscles become stronger, approximately every 6 weeks according to how you are progressing.

Please note: exercising your pelvic floor muscles should never cause you to experience pelvic floor pain or discomfort during or after your exercise session. Always listen to your body and cease your exercises immediately should this occur.

Training tips for using a pelvic exerciser (kegel exerciser)

Make sure that you know how to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles correctly before starting with vaginal weights. For help to find, feel and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles refer to Inside Out – The essential women's guide to pelvic support by Michelle Kenway & Dr Judith Goh.
Choose from vaginal cones or balls according to the strength and size of your vagina. If your pelvic floor muscles are very weak or if your vagina is larger than two finger spaces (usually the result of big babies, forceps and traumatic deliveries), then consider Smartballs or Luna Beads as excellent options. Smart balls have a 35mm diameter and are elliptical in shape which means that they are easier to sense and don't fall from the vagina as readily as some of the narrower vaginal cone designs do.
Vaginal weights aren't necessarily for everyone! If your pelvic floor muscles are very weak, if you are pregnant or have recently had a baby or vaginal surgery, you need to wait before using a kegel exerciser.
Always monitor your training response and adjust your program accordingly. This may mean using lighter weights, longer rests and fewer sets/repetitions of exercise when you first commence using weights.

Please note that vaginal weights should not be used:

During pregnancy
During early recovery from childbirth
During recovery from gynaecological surgery
With pelvic pain conditions
With active pelvic infection

¹American College of Sports Medicine (1998) Position Stand. The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise 30: 975-991.

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