A coach for a vagina

© Ekaterina Nikolaeva

Russian version

Arnold Kegel patented exercises for the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) in the last century, and no device was originally intended to perform them. But technologies are developing in this direction and so today manufacturers offer all kinds of intimate devices and almost all of them can be controlled via a smartphone.

You can read why to train the muscles of the pelvic floor in an interview with the MD Olga Malinina. But before you start such exercises, you still need to consult with your obstetrician-gynecologist, because even something that is useful and necessary for absolutely everyone may have contraindications.

Kegel Coach is the newest version of the intimate device (it does not fit, by my standards, to be called a toy) for PFM training fr om the Chinese brand Magic Motion. The manufacturer calls it “a smart Kegel trainer for beginners”, which is probably why its shape is similar to a small egg, unlike the Kegel Master 2. Well, let's see how “smart” it is and how it suits beginners.

A pink box

The exercise machine is supplied in a very sturdy light pink box. In my opinion the color is not sugary, not flashy, but very calm and inviting. Although I immediately recall the marketing concept of “tax on pink”. Perhaps the color is also due to the fact that the device is aimed at beginners, young and fresh natures.

The QR code on the box immediately caught my attention! Point the camera, scan it and download the application! You don't have to look for anything in the store. It's comfortable! The box also depicts a life-size simulator and those very birds (for those who are still completely newbies, be sure to find out about them below). There is also a designation that the device is equipped with sensors. Below is a brief announcement of how the simulator is useful, an announcement of the convenience of the application, the size and even the patent numbers (this is also always nice and interesting to find out!).

Under the lid of the box there is a transparent ins ert to protect the device. But when I opened the package there came a problem. It turned out to be not easy to literally knock the device out. Therefore, you need to turn the box over and shake it but preferably gently, otherwise the simulator will end up on the floor, as it was in my case.

We got to the simulator. In the first tier of the box there is a simulator and a stopper for it. To get them out there are small indentations for fingers, I would even say for nails so small they are. By the way, note that the design of the box immediately hints that you should not take the egg itself, only its tail.

And here's another challenge with plastic: the charger and the manual stay under the plastic ins ert. Which, too, is not so easy to get out (at this point I already started to get angry!): Because of the manicure, I couldn’t grab it, it does not shake out, since everything is very tightly packed...

At the bottom, in addition to instructions and charging, there is also a gray bag, which quickly tightens, but for transportation it is also better to tie it, otherwise it opens just as fast.

The charger is magnetic, but for reliability, it also has a small thin rod so that the contact with the device is generally excellent. But the information for how long to charge the miraculous trainer, and how long it works I could only find on the manufacturer's website: it is not on the box or in the manual. The numbers are pretty standard: 90 minutes to charge and 150 minutes to work.

The manual is all in Chinese, but with good anatomical pictures and basically everything is clear.

Meet Kegel Coach

The simulator is a very compact egg with a diameter of 3 cm and 6 cm in length, the length of the tail is 13 cm. The weight of the device is 39 grams, together with a stopper – 53 grams.

Crafted from a velvety, seamless medical grade silicone this adorable pink egg is so sweet you don't want to let it go. The power button is engraved on the egg itself (and it also helps to pair the device with a smartphone). When the device is active it is highlighted with a red light. The simulator turns on with a single press, and turns off if you hold down the button for 3 seconds, but all this time it will vibrate in your hands. By the way, the vibration is surprisingly quiet: only 43 dB.

The device’s tail is actually a Bluetooth antenna and a charging port that is safely hidden away. So be careful with the tail. The solid cast and securely hidden socket guarantee the device has IPX6 water protection: you can safely wash it, but it is not recommended to submerge it under water (whereas IPX7 protection degree already allows you to so it). I personally did not dare to “bathe” Kegel Coach as it seemed to me that water could leak under the lid that hides the charging socket, although the manufacturer claims that the breakdowns associated with water leakage in to the port are completely eliminated.

The most valuable thing in the egg is two high-precision sensors: multilevel sensors that respond with vibration to the slightest pressure. This is how the simulator gives feedback saying the muscles are working. That is, you can use it both with the application and without a smartphone: just by squeezing your muscles in any position, you will understand when you succeeded. The vibration is quiet, but pleasantly felt inside. In fact, this is not a sex toy, and it does not require furious vibration. Keep in mind that the sensors are located in the middle of the egg (along its length), as a result, a centimeter above and a centimeter below do not respond to compression. Therefore, it must be correctly placed inside, the stopper will help with this.

The stopper is a silicone thing, inside of which the tail is fixed. This is to prevent the egg from falling inside. The fact is that the pelvic floor muscles are not located deeply, and the simulator should be 2 centimeters from the entrance to the vagina: otherwise it makes no sense to train deeper, and it’s not a fact that the sensors will “feel” something. And if the simulator is right at the entrance, then there will be natural sphincter pressure, and the sensors will show compression. The stopper also helps to direct the Bluetooth antenna upward for a better connection with the application.

Trainings

First, again, be sure to consult your obstetrician-gynecologist. Secondly, do not try to immediately get yourself (or your vagina) to the maximum. It’s true, I don’t recommend you to try more than two trainings at a time, even for fun. Even if it seems to you that you did not feel anything, or that “just one more time, to be sure” – stop. The number of sets and the timing for them are given very clear. Otherwise, you can get muscle hypertonicity, which will also lead to problems, for example, stress urinary incontinence (coughing, sneezing – and you pants are wet). To be honest, to study the modes, I began to try several trainings at a time, after four days I had severe pain, radiating to the left labia majora. Two days later, since the pain did not go away, I turned to my doctor and here: pinching of the pudendal nerve from overexertion. It happens. She thought that this was a consequence of hot romantic nights, but no – these were the consequences of really intense training: also, the excitement so that the bird almost did not fall. But I have a competent doctor and we quickly fixed everything. I told this story on purpose so that you understand that you cannot run a hundred meters after two trainings.

So that's about training. There can be two options: with an application and without. In any case, before use, we rinse and disinfect the simulator with a cleaner, use only water-based lubricant, set the egg inside correctly, fix the stopper and choose a pose. In the instructions, it is recommended to practice lying down, I tried lying down, including in bed under a blanket (Bluetooth keeps in touch perfectly even under a one), I tried lying on the floor and standing with my knees bent. We reject the option with a bed: it is warm and comfortable, of course, but because of the softness (although I have a hard mattress), the position of the pelvis will be wrong, and the egg will always fall through, and the stopper will “bite” the clitoris. So either lying on the floor or standing.

The training option without an application is very simple: we squeeze the muscles – the egg vibrates in response. Here's a simple and straightforward feedback. How to contract muscles? It's like we want to stop in the process when we write. The main thing is not to strain the muscles of the press and buttocks – the sensors are very sensitive and can vibrate to this. How not to strain your abs? The hand on my stomach helps me personally, I felt the muscles under it sometimes in the first workouts tensed. And so as not to strain them, deep belly breathing helps.

The second training option is through the app.

Magic Kegel App

The training application is very simple, fully in Russian, including the coach's speech. After connecting with the simulator, when the egg is turned on and the connection is pressed, the connection occurs in seconds. It's comfortable. The connection is stable. The connection will disappear only if you are not active in the application for 10 minutes. Interesting it is that in the Bluetooth’s settings, the egg is displayed as “Smart Bean3”, and appears only when it is turned on and activated in the application. Unlike Nova2, for example, which is constantly displayed there. By the way, as soon as the egg contacts the application, the compression sensors stop responding and work only through the selected mode in the application, keep in mind.

Thanks to the developers that no additional registration is required to use the application! But no thanks for the fact that you cannot see the indication of the device's charge in percentage (in the same Nova2 it is, for example).

Let's go from right to left. In the “Me” section, you can set privacy settings (Magic Kegel Settings) and access to the application with a password – this is important if children often play with your smartphone, for example. The vibration intensity is also set there. And in this section, you can see all the “achievements”, well, it's like in Duolingo or some zombie farm, when you get another “medal” for five days of training, for completing the initial level, and so on. It's funny, kind of gamification.

In the “Read” section you can find a menstruation calendar (if you don't already have one), but it is very simple. There is a short guide and a story about PFT, but the key one is “Entertainment”. Essentially, this is the vibroegg mode. I highly recommend using the vibration after training! It helps relieve muscle tension and relax. By the way, if you have reduced sensitivity, then it is better to start training with vibration too – this will increase blood flow and help you better feel the work of muscles inside. There are only six modes, but again, this is a simulator, not a sex toy.

In the “Statistics” mode, everything is simple and clear, and very clear. The metrics are very motivating. In the same section, there is also a piece of gamification, wh ere you grow a tree with your training experience (or the strength of your vagina). Just hilarious and nothing more.

Well, the actual training. There are six options here, each of them has four more difficulty levels: beginner, intermediate, high and professional. How is Honeymoon different from Planning a Baby or Muscle Recovery? Yes, they are the same – it is only about the time allocated for muscle contraction and everything, as well as the difficulty levels. That’s all. Types of trainings: long and short squeezes, the words of the coach – everything is the same. Well, the training itself is visualized by the flight of the bird: the stronger the compression, the higher the bird flies on the screen and that's it.

All bloggers, whose tests I have read said about the previous model: add some more entertainment with a bird, because it's boring. Boring, yes! Let the bird fly over moving clouds, for example, or it will have a limited number of falls ... In general, dear Magic Motion, do something with the bird, please !!!

Another disadvantage is that you cannot turn off the coach's voice (only by turning off the sound on your smartphone). In general, a simulator is a simulator: repetitions and sets.

The only thing is, you still need to clearly se t the egg and adjust the stopper. As a result, in a supine position, I removed the stopper and supported or pulled the egg by the tail with my other hand (the main hand was tired), because otherwise either the stopper “bit” me, or the simulator was pushed out by the muscles. It doesn't matter if I trained while standing or lying down. There is no point in exercising while sitting: the position of the PFT will lead to the constant triggering of the sensors in compression.

What's the total?

The device is really high quality, responsive, focused specifically on training. The application perfectly visualizes both the process and the result – this motivates you to train, the main thing is not to be lazy and do it regularly. At least every other day, but regularly. By the way, there is a sudden side effect from training: I woke up from orgasm several times after training before bed.

PS Once my hairdresser was talking about her friend, formerly a “gray mouse” and a loser in a relationship, who suddenly and mega-successfully married a rich and generous man, and happily lives in his golden cage. And it happened after she “upgraded her vagina” – took a course in intimate gymnastics. This, they say, magically awakens female energy and men fly to such a lady like flies to honey. In general, I do not know, but if the topic of marriage and other things is relevant to you, then maybe training with Kegel Coach will help with this?

The Kegel Coach was provided for the test drive by the National Company “Kazanova 69”.