Ask Gerda: Pelvic-Floor Care for Intimate Wellness
Gerda Endemann, our senior director of science and research, has a BS in nutrition from UC Berkeley, a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from MIT, and a passion for cherry-picking from our wellness shop. She spends a lot of her time interpreting research—established and emerging. And our wellness routines thank her for this. (Yours will, too. Send us your own questions for Gerda: [email protected].)
Dear goop, As I’m getting older, I’m not feeling so confident in the bedroom, and I’m not getting as much out of it as I used to. I already have a Kegel practice, and it’s helping—but I want to try something else to tone up. What works?
—Deborah G.
Hi Deborah—and any other women reading this: Pelvic-floor care can be helpful to any woman who wants to maintain tone and support intimate wellness, whether your concern is post-pregnancy support or normal age-related changes.
First up, Deborah, don’t quit your Kegel practice. Kegel exercises help keep our pelvic-floor muscles in shape, and research has shown they can be great for healthy bladder control, sexual function, and likely even sensation and pleasure.
But here’s something new to add to your practice: vFit, a red-light device with warmth and sonic vibration to complement your regular vaginal and pelvic-floor routine.
vFit fits in the vagina, and it does vibrate. Powerfully. But it is much more than a vibrator. The theory behind vFit is something called “multimodal vaginal toning.” That is: a combination of light, heat, and vibration meant to stimulate cells and boost blood circulation. We can expect vFit’s gentle heat to boost blood flow (biologically, this makes perfect sense), and it uses red light to spur cell metabolism. The goal is to promote healthy cells and tissues.
I’m trying it myself. And about six sessions into my trial, I’m liking vFit a lot. It’s simple: The controls for light, heat, and vibration are easy to find, even when the device is in use (that is, when you can’t see them). It’s obvious that the designers put a lot of care into every aspect of the product, from the clear instructions to the device itself. And it’s easily integrated into your routine—it takes just ten minutes, three or four times a week. Personally, I use this time to relax or meditate.
Here’s what got me excited about vFit: The company that makes it sponsored a study in which women used the device according to the standard guidelines: ten minutes every other day for twenty-four sessions. The women reported on their intimate well-being before and after the study. And after using vFit, the women reported significant improvements in bladder control and sexual functioning. The researchers also gathered objective data—they tested women’s pelvic muscle strength and bladder control before and after vFit use, and they found both had improved after the full course of twenty-four sessions.
The research may be in early stages, but as soon as I saw the published results, I wanted to try out vFit myself. I can’t wait to see what future studies find. And I’m especially looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits of this routine
for myself.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of goop
