Advanced Search

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men

STAY ACTIVE

PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES FOR MEN

Exercise can have immense health benefits, helping us to live a happier, healthier life. If you sometimes experience urine leakage, whether it’s the odd dribble or larger leaks, Kegel exercises for men can help you reduce or even totally prevent incontinence Incontinence is defined as complaint of involuntary loss of urine. .

Many men find that with a consistent routine, you can not only reduce urine leakage, and improve your sex life, but also reduce stress and anxiety! Kegel exercises for men aim to target the pelvic floor muscles The pelvic floor muscles (or pelvic muscles) are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a floor between your legs. They are located between the pubic bone (at the front) and the base of your spine (at the back). Weakening of these muscles can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and, if the anal closure muscle is affected, faecal incontinence. , as well as your bladder. Let’s look at the benefits of kegel exercises for guys and how they can help develop and improve bladder control.

WHAT ARE KEGEL EXERCISES FOR MEN?

Male pelvic floor exercises, commonly known as "Kegel exercises", consist of repeatedly clenching and releasing the muscles which support the bladder and bowel to strengthen them.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF MALE INCONTINENCE?

For the urinary system to do its job, the brain, muscles and nerves need to work together to hold the urine in the bladder and not release it until you are ready. However, there are many factors that can interfere with this process and cause bladder problems in men.

Common causes for male incontinence include:

  • aging
  • weight gain
  • constipation
  • smoking
  • surgical removal of the prostate A gland in men, which is located at the base of the bladder. The prostate produces a fluid at ejaculation. Often in older men, the gland starts to grow larger and can obstruct the urine tube. A symptom of this is a poor stream of urine, also known as problems emptying the bladder or incomplete emptying of the bladder.
  • diabetes
  • overactive bladder

All of these issues can lead to bladder weakness, especially if the man has had prostate problems.  Male pelvic floor exercises are easy exercises you can do to help strengthen the muscles around your bladder and control urinary incontinence dribbling after urination.

DO MEN HAVE A PELVIC FLOOR?

Yes – while pelvic floor disorders are more common in women, men have a pelvic floor too. When the male pelvic floor is not working properly or weakened, it can lead to bladder and bowel problems, such as incontinence Incontinence is defined as complaint of involuntary loss of urine. , as well as genital issues such as erectile dysfunction and male dyspareunia (painful sex).

The male pelvic floor muscles, The pelvic floor muscles (or pelvic muscles) are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a floor between your legs. They are located between the pubic bone (at the front) and the base of your spine (at the back). Weakening of these muscles can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and, if the anal closure muscle is affected, faecal incontinence. are found at the base of the pelvis and stretch from the pubic bone at the front to the tail bone (coccyx) at the back. They sit below the bladder and bowel, and contract and relax to control the bladder and bowel. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF KEGEL EXERCISES FOR MEN??

There are many benefits of Kegel exercises for guys, most of which involve greater control of the bladder. The stronger the pelvic floor, the better you can control your bowel and the urge to urinate.

Male pelvic floor exercises are recommended for men with  overactive bladder symptoms especially for men experiencing urinary incontinence after prostate surgery. Repeated clenching of the male pelvic floor muscles can suppress bladder contractions, helping to manage overactive bladder.

Kegel exercises can also help to treat nocturia, reducing the urge to urinate frequently at night and thus improving sleep quality.

Incontinence Incontinence is defined as complaint of involuntary loss of urine. exercises for males may also help with managing erectile dysfunction, as the pelvic floor muscles help to increase blood flow to the groin and are active during sex. This means that strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, The pelvic floor muscles (or pelvic muscles) are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a floor between your legs. They are located between the pubic bone (at the front) and the base of your spine (at the back). Weakening of these muscles can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and, if the anal closure muscle is affected, faecal incontinence. may also improve sexual performance. 

HOW TO DO KEGEL EXERCISES FOR MEN

Before doing the exercises, you need to know how to find and activate your pelvic floor muscles, The pelvic floor muscles (or pelvic muscles) are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a floor between your legs. They are located between the pubic bone (at the front) and the base of your spine (at the back). Weakening of these muscles can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and, if the anal closure muscle is affected, faecal incontinence. . We don’t often consciously engage these muscles, so it can take a bit of practice.

One way to do this is by imagining you’re trying not to break wind, and focusing on the muscles that contract at the base of your pelvis as you do this. These are the Kegel muscles. Another method is to try to stop or slow down the flow of urine whilst (midstream) urinating. The muscles you use for both methods engage your pelvic floor muscles.

However, it’s important to know that stopping or slowing down the flow of urine is not a pelvic floor exercise, and shouldn't be used as an exercise, as it could disrupt the normal emptying reflex and could exacerbate urinary health issues if done too often. It's simply a way to help locate the right muscles. If you have trouble controlling your Kegel muscles, you can consult a physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic floor muscles.

KEGELS FOR MEN: ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS

If you're new to male Kegel exercises you can do them lying down to make things easier. Initially your muscles might not be strong enough, so you can exercise them using gravity. Lying down also makes it easier to feel that the right muscles are working and that they're clenched to the maximum. It also allows you to fully focus on the Kegels instead of trying to balance or hold a more complex position.

Try to find the position in which you are most comfortable. You can lie down with your knees bent and feet on the floor, or with your legs resting on a pillow or chair seat.

BEST MALE KEGEL EXERCISES AND METHODS

Strength

Clench and hold your pelvic floor muscles, The pelvic floor muscles (or pelvic muscles) are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a floor between your legs. They are located between the pubic bone (at the front) and the base of your spine (at the back). Weakening of these muscles can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and, if the anal closure muscle is affected, faecal incontinence. for a second or two. Relax for 10 seconds and then repeat, building up to 10 repetitions. Try not to squeeze your buttocks or tighten your thighs or stomach at the same time while doing this exercise.

Perseverance

Use the same technique as for the strength exercise, but this time instead of repeating short clenches, clench 10 seconds, building up to 10 repetitions. Relax for 20 seconds between each repetition.

Pro Tip: You can do these exercises while sitting down and no one around you will be able to notice. This means you can get some repetitions in during your commute, while brushing your teeth or even during a boring meeting, so you can squeeze them into your busy life wherever you can!

Resistance

Kick it up a notch by adding abdomen resistance when you do the strength and perseverance exercises.

Pro tip: Hard contractions

Feel like you've mastered the exercises above? Try using fast, hard contractions to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles as hard as you can and then let go straight away. Repeat up to 10 times.

Remember, good results take time, and it may take several weeks before you notice an improvement. Until then, make sure you do these exercises daily.

Bladder control

Regain control of your bladder by scheduling your toilet visits and keeping track of the amount of liquid you drink. For example, if you drink a litre and a half of water a day, it's perfectly normal to visit the toilet up to 8 times a day. If you need to urinate more often, use the pelvic floor exercises above to regain control. Also limit the amount of caffeinated drinks and fizzy drinks as these can irritate the bladder. Stopping smoking is also recommended.

If you’re struggling with urine leakage or find using Kegel exercises difficult, it's important to speak to your doctor to determine what more can be done to assist you and the root cause of your urine leakage. It’s important to address urinary health concerns early, as they can be a warning sign of other health issues such as diabetes,over active bladder ,prostate A gland in men, which is located at the base of the bladder. The prostate produces a fluid at ejaculation. Often in older men, the gland starts to grow larger and can obstruct the urine tube. A symptom of this is a poor stream of urine, also known as problems emptying the bladder or incomplete emptying of the bladder. or bowel issues, and these can worsen over time.

Doing pelvic floor exercises regularly should help to manage the symptoms of urinary incontinence, although they may take a few months to have an effect, and work differently for each person. For more information on how to keep control of urine leakage, visit our top tips and advice, or discover our best products to help you manage male incontinence Incontinence is defined as complaint of involuntary loss of urine. .

References

https://www.medicinenet.com/urinary_incontinence/article.htm#urinary_incontinence_ui_introduction


https://www.continence.org.au/who-it-a ffects/men/male-pelvic-floor-muscles


https://www.healthline.com/health/kegel-exercises#for-men


https://www.uclahealth.org/urology/prostate-cancer/kegel-exercises-for-men


Pelvic floor involvement in male and female sexual dysfunction and the role of pelvic floor rehabilitation treatment: A literature review. Talli Yehuda Rosenbaum Journal Sexual Medicine 2007 Jan 4 (1) 4-13