I Didn't Think Kegel Exercisers Worked — Until I Tried Doing 'AutoKegels'

A kegel exerciser is an investment worth making, no matter your age.

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You’re never too young to start doing kegel exercises.

Kegels are the contracting and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles to keep the pelvic floor in tip-top shape.

Imagine your pelvic floor muscles like a hammock; now, imagine those muscles sagging. It's clear what would happen with your bladder, uterus and visceral organs that the muscle supports. They slide and shift out of place, since there’s nothing there to support them. This may lead to things like incontinence or other pelvic floor issues. 

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A healthy and well-exercised pelvic floor can lead to stronger and longer orgasms, as well as help prevent urinary incontinence and the potential of organ descent — the former being something that happens in over half of women.

But while kegels are essential to both sexual health and women’s health, they’re sometimes not practiced as often as they should be. Yes, they’re easy once you get the hang of them, but remembering to perform kegel exercises isn’t always at the top of every woman’s to-do list.

In the long run, especially if you exercise regularly and/or have a baby, both of which can reduce muscle tone in the pelvic floor, women run the risk of losing bladder control or having the inner sex organs shift out of their natural position.

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Because of this, companies have created the brilliant innovation of kegel exercisers and trainers.

RELATED: 5 Huge Kegel Mistakes You're Probably Making (And What To Do Instead)

A kegel trainer swoops in and makes exercising those pelvic floor muscles easy and — dare I say? — fun.

Since 60 percent of women find it difficult to determine whether they have correctly performed these exercises, a kegel device can measure and respond to the muscle contractions as well as the relaxing of your pelvic floor muscles.

These trainers take pelvic floor exercise to a whole new level and, in some cases, make it into a game as they monitor your progress.

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For many, this monitoring of the kegel muscles is exactly what they need to not just get the exercises right, but to stay on track and move in the right direction during their pelvic floor strengthening journey. If used correctly, these trainers work, and work well, making them one of the best options out there when it comes to pelvic floor therapy.

Yarlap Kegel Exerciser Review

As someone who knows that the stronger the pelvic floor the better, I gave Yarlap a try.

Yarlap is an FDA-cleared medical device that uses AutoKegel technology clinically proven to make sure kegel exercises are done correctly every time.

yarlap system kegel exerciser

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Use promo code YOURTANGO at checkout and receive $50 off the Yarlap System!

Using the Yarlap System, I knew I would experience a sensation I’d probably never felt before. But as a matter of science, and as a lover of stronger and longer orgasms, I knew I had to give it a try.

Although Yarlap markets itself to help with incontinence, the involuntary leakage of urine, because this isn’t something that afflicts me (at least not yet!), I approached it from what I could get from the device in the present (better orgasms) and what I’ll get in the long run (a stronger pelvic floor).

In both cases, it’s a win-win.

yarlap system kegel exerciser

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RELATED: What It's Really Like When Your Doctor Sends You To 'Vagina Therapy'

As per the instructions, I washed the PC stim electrode, used the water-soluble lubricating gel that came with the device, inserted it into my vagina, and got to work.

Now, most women are aware of what a kegel exercise is and the frequency at which to do them, but it can be difficult to actually isolate and work those muscles correctly. Without correctly identifying the muscles, and working them out properly and routinely, we fail to reap the benefits of the exercises.

This is where the Yarlap comes in to do the work for you, all as part of your self-care routine. Yarlap eliminates the guesswork and boredom of kegel exercises, as well as the risk of over-toning the muscles.

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What’s cool about Yarlap is they have programs specific for what the user needs.

Programs 1 and 2 are to treat mixed incontinence, programs 3 and 4 are for urge incontinence, and programs 5 and 6 are for stress incontinence.

Each program, depending on which one you choose, runs 15 or 20 minutes long. Then, once you get good at it, you can pair even numbered programs with odd numbered programs.

When it comes to performing kegels — either on my own, with kegel balls, or other types of devices — I thought I’d play with the programs and see what was a fit for me. I found programs 3 and 4 to be where I was most comfortable.

I started at 30 mA, which was suggested for newbies.

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I was impressed by the detailed directions that came with Yarlap — like, how if the electrode isn’t in the right place, you’ll experience an uncomfortable contraction, so you’ll know you need to adjust it.

The device also has a built-in time limit for each program, so you can’t get carried away and just keep going and going. More isn’t always better, especially when it comes to toning muscles.

yarlap system kegel exerciser

At first, I found the sensation to be... interesting. Not in a bad way, but in a way I didn’t expect.

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I used it every third day, as instructed, for 10 days. I found that, while I couldn’t speak to improved continence as that was not my reason for trying it, I could recognize that my pelvic floor was getting stronger when, during my off days from Yarlap, I did kegels on my own — another suggestion I found in the manual.

After using Yarlap, my contractions felt deeper, and when I relaxed the muscles, they actually needed to relax because they were getting a proper workout.

I remember thinking on day nine that I could feel a definite shift in how my body did kegels on its own — and that was just day nine! The guidance from the device was definitely working and my pelvic floor was enjoying the benefits.

RELATED: I Stuck Kegel Yoni Eggs Up Me To Make My Vagina Stronger

Like sex toys, there are a lot of kegel exercise devices out there. Naturally, this makes choosing the best one difficult.

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But what makes Yarlap so great is that it does the kegel exercises for you with AutoKegel. All I had to do was sit back and let Yarlap do the rest.

Not only that, but it’s app-free, so you know you’re getting ultimate privacy if that’s a concern for you. It’s also completely safe and absolutely effective. As in, proven effective — not just by me, but by studies and even Amazon reviews of the product.

At $299, Yarlap is the best deal for a kegel device on the market for its quality, and YourTango readers can score $50 off at checkout with promo code YOURTANGO.

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yarlap system kegel exerciser

Yarlap is an investment worth making, no matter your age, because you may not even realize that some of your internal issues could be the result of a weak pelvic floor, and kegel exercises strength that floor right up.

Yarlap with AutoKegel makes it extra easy.

Urinary (and fecal) incontinence are real issues for women. Not just as they age, but if they become pregnant.

Research has found that women who do pelvic floor exercises regularly are 62 percent less likely to suffer from problems with incontinence during the latter part of their pregnancy, and 29 percent are also less likely to deal with incontinence after giving birth.

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Other research found that a strong pelvic floor can reduce the chances of pelvic organ prolapse by 4.6 percent — something that occurs in roughly a third of women. Something that, although relatively common, most women would really like to avoid. It’s no fun watching as your uterus displaces itself and ends up outside your body.

Ultimately, no matter your age, your intention to have (or not have) children, your current incontinence (or lack thereof) situation, or your exercise routine, all women can benefit from regular pelvic floor exercises.

If there’s a device that’s going to make it easier for you, then that’s something worth adding to your routine. And Yarlap does just that.

-Created in partnership with Yarlap

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RELATED: 50% Of Women Will Have Their Vagina Fall Out — Here's How To Prevent It From Happening To You

Amanda Chatel is a NYC-based sexual wellness writer who has covered all things sex and sexual health-related for a decade. Her work has been featured on Shape, Hello Giggles, Harper's Bazaar, The Atlantic, Glamour, Forbes, Bustle, Huffington Post and more.