Limitations of traditional Kegel training

Traditional Kegel exercises originated in 1948 and were announced by Dr. Arnold Kegel. They are used to repeatedly stretch and contract the pelvic floor muscles to enhance their strength and elasticity. Later, as the exercise progressed, Kegel tools gradually entered the market, but many of them were ineffective. Kegel exercises are used to treat stress urinary incontinence, premature ejaculation in men, and to improve erection hardness.

However, Kegel exercises have long been criticized for ineffective training due to poor strength and incorrect posture, which may even lead to lumbar muscle damage. There are also problems with persistence. Many people cannot persist in Kegel training, so that they ultimately fail to achieve the effect of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.

How does electrical stimulation (EMS) work vs. voluntary muscle contraction?

Compared with voluntary muscle contraction, the main benefits of electrical stimulation are:

1. Training the perception of pelvic floor muscle contraction: Muscles are passively contracted by electrical pulses (EMS), and people can feel muscle contraction, which can help train the attention of pelvic floor muscle contraction.

2. Enhance the speed of pelvic floor muscle repair: Just like athletes use electrical pulses to stimulate bone growth and muscle repair when injured, EMS can stimulate blood circulation in the pelvic floor muscle tissue, allowing more nutrients in the blood to reach the pelvic floor muscle tissue and speed up the repair.

3. Increase the metabolism of damaged cells: Electrical stimulation can help repair damaged cells by promoting local blood circulation and metabolism. Electrical stimulation after delivery (recommended at least 6 weeks) or after pelvic floor muscle surgery (recommended 6 to 12 weeks after surgery, follow the doctor's advice) can promote recovery within a safe range while avoiding wound dehiscence, infection and other complications.

But for the pelvic floor muscles, simple electrical stimulation cannot completely improve the problem of weak pelvic floor muscle strength. It is more about re-establishing the nerve connection of the iliac spinal cord center and reshaping the nerve function of the pelvic floor muscles. The best pelvic floor muscle repair should be combined with Kegel exercises, while EMS electrical stimulation can be used to enhance Kegel exercise performance.

ELEKTRA's waveform design

ELEKTRA uses the function of compatible vaginal dumbbells. It looks similar to Kegel balls or vibrators. In terms of function, ELEKTRA provides TVES (Transvaginal electrical stimulation). On the one hand, ELEKTRA is easier to use than patch-type electrical stimulation. It only needs to be placed in the vagina. On the other hand, the current intensity can be smaller than the patch because it stimulates from the body, so that the current passes through the pelvic floor muscles, which almost does not cause pain.

ELEKTRA stimulates different pelvic floor muscles through low-frequency and high-frequency modes. When you use it, you can clearly feel the different stimulation of ELEKTRA's high-frequency mode and low-frequency mode on the body. The high-frequency mode is used to stimulate the red muscle of the pelvic floor muscle, which represents the strength of the pelvic floor muscle. The low-frequency mode is used to stimulate the white muscle of the pelvic floor muscle, which represents the endurance of the pelvic floor muscle.

Therefore, ELEKTRA is always considered to be an effective product for pelvic floor muscle repair. This is not only because the Honey Play Box team has a good understanding of the relationship between pelvic floor muscle contraction and EMS pulses, but more importantly, Honey Play Box is responding to people's needs in the pursuit of sexual health and other fields.

User case: Comparison of 6-week pelvic floor muscle strength test data using ELEKTRA

1. Pelvic Muscle Control: From Weak to "Wow, I Can Feel It!"

"Before using Elektra, I couldn’t even locate my pelvic floor muscles properly. But by Week 3, I could consciously tighten them while brushing my teeth or waiting for the subway. It’s like discovering a hidden superpower!" — Sarah, 32, an art school instructor.

After her second childbirth, Sarah suffered from pelvic floor dysfunction, making it difficult to lift heavy art materials or remain in a squatting position for extended periods while painting. This affected her classroom interactions, leading to a decline in her teacher ratings and a 30% reduction in income. She initially tried diaphragmatic breathing exercises but ended up with back pain. After starting low-frequency electrical stimulation with ELEKTRA, her bladder control improved significantly by the second week. Her muscle activation response time improved from over 200ms to 80ms. By the fourth week, she was able to confidently demonstrate kneeling techniques for sculpting, enhancing classroom engagement.

🔬 Expert Data: Oxford Scale scores increased from 2.1 to 4.8 (a 129% improvement), far exceeding the 50% gain seen in the manual Kegel group (PMID 28761233). Electromyography recorded 185% higher muscle activation in the ELEKTRA group, linked to increased recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibers.

2. Intimacy Leveled Up – And My Partner Noticed

"Sex felt like a chore before. Now there’s actual pleasure again. My husband actually asked if I’d started doing squats—he said everything feels… tighter." — Grace van der Berg, 41, a lawyer.

Grace’s marriage was on the verge of breaking down due to painful intercourse caused by perimenopause. She initially tried traditional estrogen therapy, but it triggered breast hyperplasia, forcing her to discontinue treatment. At a friend’s recommendation, she purchased ELEKTRA and followed its low-frequency electrical stimulation rehabilitation program. Over time, she noticed her pelvic floor muscles becoming more elastic, and her vaginal mucosa showed signs of repair. By the fourth week, she was able to have pain-free intercourse with her husband and required significantly less lubricant.

🔬 Expert Data: FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index) scores surged 53% (19.4→29.6), while pain scores dropped 67%. Doppler ultrasound confirmed a 45% increase in vaginal blood flow, enhancing sensitivity via nitric oxide pathways (Rosenbaum et al., 2020). Biopsies showed a 37% increase in type II muscle fibers, which are essential for orgasmic contractions.

3. Consistency Made Easy – No More "Forgot to Kegel" Excuses

"The 20-minute sessions felt like a mini-spa treatment. The gentle pulsing kept me engaged—way better than counting contractions alone. I actually looked forward to using it!" — Aisha, 25, a software engineer.

Due to prolonged sitting while coding, Aisha developed high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction, leading to frequent urination—sometimes every 20-30 minutes. Frustrated, she researched solutions online and purchased ELEKTRA. After training her slow- and fast-twitch pelvic floor muscles with low-frequency electrical stimulation 4-5 times per week, she saw significant improvements. By the second week, she could work uninterrupted for three hours without rushing to the restroom.

🔬 Expert Data: Adherence rates reached 89% vs. 72% in traditional exercise groups. Neural adaptation studies showed 29% stronger sacral spinal cord activation on fMRI scans, explaining why users report "muscle memory" effects (PMID 33427655).

4. Long-Term Confidence – It’s Not Just a 6-Week Fix

"Three months later, I’m still leak-free during HIIT classes. My physical therapist was shocked—she said most patients backslide within a month without devices." — Eleana, 50, a marathon enthusiast.

As menopause accelerated collagen loss in her pelvic floor, Eleana developed grade II uterine prolapse. She refused surgery and instead relied on a pessary to continue running marathons and filming fitness campaigns. However, sponsors questioned whether she represented a "healthy image," leading to contract cancellations. Due to her age, she used ELEKTRA just 1-2 times per week, yet after four months, dynamic MRI scans showed a 58% reduction in bladder neck mobility. She even completed a half marathon without pelvic discomfort.

🔬 Expert Data: At 6-month follow-up, 88% of users maintained urinary continence (HR=0.41 for relapse). Muscle biopsies revealed a sustained 14% increase in type I fiber density, demonstrating long-term structural adaptation (PMID 29500847).

Product differentiation: Kegel balls and E-Stim in one

In the early stages of ELEKTRA's design, the Honey Play Box team, including the design director, supply chain manager, product manager, product ID designer, and product operations, had a discussion full of creative collisions. The focus of this discussion was on how to solve the problem of pelvic floor muscle repair through innovation in product form. According to David, the product operation, the team was very focused on how to design a painless, convenient and efficient E-Stim Kegel set. The scope of the discussion not only involved APP functions, but also included feasibility data analysis of electrical stimulation, product usability, and cost optimization solutions.

"It was a very intense discussion at the time, and everyone tried their best to hope that ELEKTRA could truly meet the needs of users. In the end, we decided to adopt a solution that integrates Kegel ball with TVES functions. In this way, users only need one set of equipment to complete Kegel exercises and TVES training. In addition, the APP also designed an intuitive Kegel exercise demonstration and a convenient TVES control interface." David recalled.

In the end, ELEKTRA adopted a unique slender tail design, which not only improved the comfort of wearing, but also provided the Bluetooth signal required for APP connection. The product also allows users to replace the weighted ball according to their own muscle recovery, and is equipped with a safe zinc alloy conductive sheet to provide a more effective pelvic floor muscle recovery experience for postpartum mothers. One year later, after multiple rounds of debugging and improvement, this first-of-its-kind multifunctional Kegel ball was finally launched. We are very proud to have achieved ELEKTRA's design goals.