Elvie vs Perifit Kegel Trainer

Weak pelvic floor muscles in women can lead to incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, low back pain, and fewer or less intense orgasms. While Kegel exercises are recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, research shows that they are performed incorrectly by 30% of women. This is why at-home Kegel Trainers were designed to guide users through more effective Kegel exercises and pelvic floor strengthening.

Elvie and Perifit are two of the most popular digital Kegel Trainers with biofeedback linked to a smartphone App. In this article, we've outlined the pros and cons of the Elvie and Perifit Trainers and a set of non-digital Kegel Exercise Tools, in case electronic Kegel Trainers don't feel right for you.

What Causes Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles stretch from one side of the pelvis to the other and from the pubic bone in the front of the body to the tailbone at the end of the spine. Similar to a hammock, their function is to protect and support the pelvic organs, bolster core strength, assist in bladder and bowel movements, and facilitate sexual pleasure.

Working in unison with the core muscles and diaphragm, the pelvic floor muscles move when you breathe, lift, sneeze, cough, or strain.

Common causes of Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth cause the pelvic floor muscles to stretch, sometimes beyond their limits, and for many women, the pelvic floor remains weak afterward.

• Aging causes a loss of muscle mass throughout the body, including the pelvic floor muscles.

• Lowering levels of estrogen during the menopause transition can result in less elasticity in the vaginal walls and weaker pelvic floor muscles.

• Chronic constipation, coughing, or too much heavy lifting may also lead to pelvic floor weakness.

• Being overweight can put extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and cause them to weaken.

• Pelvic surgeries and cancer treatment in the pelvic area can sometimes weaken the pelvic floor muscles or damage the supporting pelvic nerves and tissues.

Symptoms of a Weak Pelvic Floor

The most obvious sign of weak pelvic floor muscles is incontinence. Urine leaks are common when sneezing, coughing, dancing, jumping, or lifting, and fecal incontinence can also occur.

Pelvic pain, and lower back pain can also be associated with symptoms of weak pelvic floor muscles, however, pain may not manifest for every woman- interestingly, pelvic pain can also be associated with pelvic floor muscles that are too tight.

When the pelvic floor muscles cannot contract and relax correctly due to being weak or overstretched, less support is provided to the pelvic organs. Additionally, this can lead to less sensation and pleasure during intercourse. Some women may also experience urine leaks during sex.

Pelvic organ prolapse can occur when the pelvic floor muscles are weak due to the lack of support for the pelvic organs. With prolapse, women can experience heavy pressure in the pelvis or a sense that something could fall out through the vaginal opening.

What do Kegel Trainers Do?

As a form of strength training for weakened pelvic floor muscles, Kegel exercises involve a repeated and conscious contraction, hold, and release of the pelvic floor. When practiced daily for as little as 5 minutes, Kegel exercises can re-strengthen the pelvic muscles to alleviate incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse, while improving sexual sensation and pleasure.

Because Kegel exercises are performed incorrectly by as many as 30% of women, Kegel Trainers and Kegel Weights were invented to help.

Kegel Trainers and Kegel Weights are recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and improve quality of life after childbirth, pelvic surgeries, chronic constipation, pelvic cancer treatment, or pelvic injuries. They also re-tone the pelvic floor muscles during and after menopause when low estrogen levels often cause them to weaken.

Elvie vs Perifit Trainer How They Compare

The Elvie and Perifit Kegel Trainers are digital pelvic tools made from soft, body-safe medical-grade silicone. They also use biofeedback technology to measure and display pelvic muscle contractions on a smartphone App.

However, they also differ in several ways.

The Elvie Trainer is priced between $200-$250, depending on the retailer and promotions. It is egg-shaped and uses motion detectors and force sensors to send pelvic floor strength and coordination feedback to the downloadable smartphone App. The motion sensors in this Kegel Trainer are designed to detect pelvic muscle movement, and the force sensors gauge the power in each pelvic floor contraction.

This feedback is sent to the smartphone App via Bluetooth where the user can watch a gem rising on the screen to understand the strength of their pelvic floor contractions.

Feedback on the Elvie is relatively mixed with some finding the egg-shaped Elvie Trainer easy to use, while others find its fit uncomfortable in the vaginal canal. Some enjoy the guidance on the smartphone screen, but despite its price and promise, other customers question its accuracy in tracking contractions.

Ease in connecting to the App also appears to vary, with several users feeling frustrated at dropping in and out of App connectivity while using the Elvie Trainer. Others found the Elvie device challenging to recharge.

The Perifit Trainer is typically priced around $150-$200 depending on the retailer. It is wand-shaped and uses double-pressure sensor technology to track pelvic floor training. The sensor at the bottom of the Perifit Trainer monitors pelvic muscle contractions and the sensor at the top tracks intra-abdominal compression to detect incorrect pelvic floor contractions.

Users can watch feedback from the two sensors on the App to understand if they are performing Kegel exercises correctly and navigate through games by contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor.

Feedback on the Perifit Trainer is also mixed with some mentioning that it's an entertaining way to strengthen the pelvic floor, others find it difficult to comprehend the feedback and how the App works, while others feel the games are repetitive and boring.

The fit feels good for most but bulky and difficult to insert for others. Unfortunately, due to its top and bottom sensors, the Perifit Trainer does not work as effectively when not inserted correctly.

Similar to the Elvie reviews, slow App connectivity is mentioned. It's also prone to disconnecting and causes frustration in users expecting reliability and continuity. On the plus side, it doesn't require recharging but the 5-year battery guarantee appears to run out sooner than expected.

If these technological, connection, or battery issues sound off-putting, Kegel Weights, without biofeedback Apps, are equally effective at strengthening the pelvic floor.

Kegel Weights: How They Work

Kegel Weights do not require technology, Apps, or charging to re-strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles. And despite the lack of technology, they can still notify users when Kegel exercises are not performed correctly.

Most are made from body-safe, medical-grade silicone for vaginal health and shaped similar to a tampon for easy insertion and removal. Typically sold in sets of increasing weights, Kegel Weights are held in place by the natural contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles.

Instead of watching an App to understand if they are performing Kegels correctly, women can feel a Kegel Weight begin to slip out of the vagina when their Kegels are not performed correctly. Not having to rely on a smartphone App also means users can insert their Kegel Weights and perform household chores, read a book, or watch TV while Kegeling.

While some beginners mention Kegel Weights easily fall out on the first try, they quickly understand that they can perform the activities seated or lying down while they build strength, and that holding it in place is part of pelvic floor training. And it becomes easier and easier with practice.

Another benefit to Kegel Weights is the various weights in each set. Starting with the lightest weight is recommended for initial pelvic floor strengthening and progressing through the bigger sizes provides continuity and a natural method of tracking your progress.

Kegel Weights: An Easy and Comfortable Alternative to Digital Kegel Trainers

Costing just $49.99 per set, Intimate Rose Kegel Weights are much less expensive than the Elvie or Perifit Trainer and offer a more reliable and consistent re-strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles. In fact, these Kegel Weights are so effective they are the only set used for training by the Academy of Pelvic Health.

Intimate Rose Kegel Weights are made from soft, body-safe, medical-grade silicone and designed to sit comfortably in the vaginal canal like a lightly weighted tampon. They are sold in sets of six ascending weights ranging from 0.9 to 4.4 ounces so beginners can start confidently on the lightest weight and track their progress by moving to the heavier weights over time.

Before Using Kegel Weights or Kegel Trainers

Kegel Weights and Kegel Trainers are designed to strengthen and re-tone weak or overstretched pelvic floor muscles. However, they are not effective for all pelvic floor dysfunction. If the pelvic floor muscles are tight, Kegel Weights or Kegel Trainers can worsen symptoms.

Therefore, women with symptoms of weak pelvic floor muscles are advised to consult with a pelvic physical therapist before starting pelvic floor training with Kegel Weights or Trainers. It's also recommended that new moms get the go-ahead from their midwife before using Kegel Weights or Kegel Trainers after childbirth to give the vaginal canal and pelvic floor time to recover before training.

References

Physiopedia - Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - https://www.physio-pedia.com/Pelvic_Floor_Dysfunction

The Pelvic Hub - Pelvic floor basics part one- what it is, what it does and why you should care - https://www.thepelvichub.com/blogs/pelvic-pain/pelvic-floor-basics-part-one-what-it-is-what-it-does-and-why-you-should-care?

Johns Hopkins Medicine - Urinary Incontinence in Women - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/urinary-incontinence/urinary-incontinence-in-women

National Library of Medicine - Dyspareunia - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562159/

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - Pelvic Organ Prolapse - https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/5-things-i-wish-all-women-knew-about-pelvic-organ-prolapse

North American Menopause Society - Yoga, Kegel Exercises, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy - https://www.menopause.org/for-women/sexual-health-menopause-online/effective-treatments-for-sexual-problems/yoga-kegel-exercises-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy

Web MD - Vaginismus - https://www.webmd.com/women/vaginismus-causes-symptoms-treatments

Kegel Exercises - https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283

The Pelvic Hub - Kegel Weights - https://www.thepelvichub.com/blogs/health/kegel-weights-complete-guide?