Beyond Kegels: Pelvic Floor Training Exercises For Men

Kegel exercises (pelvic floor exercises) are commonly known for offering various benefits to women, especially those with weakened pelvic floor muscles from childbirth. But, they can be beneficial for men as well.

These exercises are simple to perform and can be done almost anywhere, making them an accessible and effective way to strengthen pelvic floor muscles for everyone, regardless of gender.

In this blog post, we explain what pelvic floor training for men is and why it’s beneficial, while also highlighting how you can perform pelvic floor exercises most effectively.

What is male pelvic health training?

Male pelvic floor training involves using various exercises, such as Kegels, to help strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor.

Your pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscle and tissue within your pelvis that stretch from your coccyx (tailbone) to your pubic bone.

Your urethra (a thin passage where urine travels to and out from the penis) and rectum (back passage) pass through your pelvic floor muscles, which is why they can impact certain factors like your bladder and bowel control.

If your pelvic floor becomes weakened, for example, this can lead to bowel or urine incontinence, where you experience an urgent need to empty your bladder or bowel.

Some men may also experience dribbling of urine after urinating or struggle to control the urge to release wind as well.

Some of the most common causes of weakened pelvic floor muscles in men include:

● Surgery to treat an enlarged prostate gland.

● Repeatedly straining to empty your bowels.

● A chronic cough caused by asthma, smoking or bronchitis.

● Being overweight.

● Neurological damage from a stroke, spinal injury or multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may already have a weakened pelvic floor:

Stress urinary incontinence:

Where urine leaks out when coughing, laughing, sneezing or exerting yourself.

Bowel incontinence:

The accidental leakage of faeces and struggling to hold in wind.

Post-micturition dribble:

Leaking a few drops of urine after you’ve finished urinating.

Erectile dysfunction:

Not being able to maintain or gain an erection.

Premature ejaculation:

Ejaculating before you would like to during sex, usually within two or three minutes.

Although your pelvic floor can weaken, it can become strong again through pelvic floor training – using various exercises to tighten and release your pelvic floor muscles both regularly and repeatedly.

By retraining your pelvic floor muscles in this way, you may even see an improvement in your incontinence symptoms.

Benefits of pelvic floor exercises for men

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can offer a number of benefits. For example, this might include:

● Improved bowel and bladder control.

● Enhanced ability to maintain an erection.

● Reduced likelihood of premature ejaculation.

● Minimised risk of incontinence accidents or emergencies.

While you won’t see the results of your pelvic floor exercises right away, with enough time and practice, you should start to see an improvement and regain control of your pelvic muscles.

Identifying your pelvic floor muscles

Before you try to perform any pelvic floor exercises, you first need to identify the muscles. The best way to do this is by performing the following steps:

1. Sit or lie down with your thighs, buttocks and abdomen relaxed.

2. Try to tighten the ring of muscle around your back passage – it should feel similar to trying to hold in wind.

3. Relax this muscle and tighten it again a few more times until you are confident in identifying it.

4. Now imagine you are urinating and try to activate the muscles you would use to stop it midstream.

5. If you’re using the correct muscles for this, your penis may move towards your abdomen slightly.

If you are unable to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, speak with your doctor as they will be able to rule out any underlying conditions and provide you with tailored advice and support.

If you find that pelvic floor exercises are difficult or you're struggling to activate the right muscles, make sure to speak with your doctor or local continence service as doing pelvic floor exercises incorrectly can lead to further problems – hindering your condition instead of improving.

Pelvic floor exercises for men

Once you are happy that you’ve found your pelvic floor muscles and know how to tighten and relax them, you’re ready to learn pelvic floor exercises.

However, before you get started, make sure that when you’re performing these exercises, you don’t:

● Squeeze your buttocks.

● Hold your breath.

● Stop your flow of urine while actually urinating (as this can disrupt bladder emptying).

Simple pelvic floor exercises for men

There are a few pelvic floor exercises you can do that can support the strength of your pelvic muscles. These come in varying levels of difficulty and will require you to exert yourself in different ways and at different speeds.

Slow pelvic exercises

How to perform slow pelvic exercises:

1 - Tighten your pelvic muscles.

2 - Hold them tightly for as many seconds as you can for up to ten seconds.

3 - Make sure that you’re not squeezing your thigh or buttocks muscles and are solely squeezing your pelvic floor. It should feel like a ‘squeeze and lift’ and your buttocks and thighs should not move.

4 - Slowly relax your muscles for four seconds.

5 - Repeat the slow tightening exercise up to ten times.

Difficulty: These exercises are relatively easy but it can be challenging holding your muscles tight for up to ten seconds.

How long will it take: If you repeat this exercise ten times, it can take around two and a half minutes.

Fast pelvic exercises

How to perform fast exercises:

1 - Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor for one second.

2 - Relax them for one second.

3 - Try to complete ten of these exercises.

4 - Make sure you’re only squeezing and releasing your pelvic muscles, not your thighs or buttocks.

Difficulty: These pulsed tightening exercises can be slightly more difficult as they require a lot of control over your pelvic floor muscles. However, they will become easier with time and provide your pelvic floor with a good workout.

How long will it take: If you repeat this exercise ten times, it can take 20 seconds to complete.

How often should pelvic floor exercises be performed?

You should try to carry out your pelvic floor exercises four to five times a day, every day and perform fast and slow exercises to build up strength.

You can also do them in a variety of positions, including sitting, standing, lying down and even walking. Why not use the time you spend brushing your teeth to carry out some exercises or perhaps while you’re sat watching TV?

With how quick and easy they are to do, it can be easy to incorporate pelvic floor exercises into your day-to-day routine whenever suits you best.

When will I see and feel the results of pelvic floor exercises?

Your pelvic floor muscles are like all the other muscles in your body which means it takes time and practice for them to grow stronger.

Depending on the current state of your pelvic floor muscles, it can take up to six months for you to see noticeable changes and improvements in your symptoms.

However, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen sooner and you may experience a reduction in your symptoms before then.

Discover more about male incontinence support with Attends

Pelvic floor exercises can be a great way for you to reduce symptoms of incontinence. However, as it can take some time before you experience the results, you may need additional support in the meantime.

At Attends, we offer a wide range of incontinence products for men, tailored to meet the unique challenges you may be facing.

Whether you’re experiencing urine dribbling or accidental streams of urine, we have the right product for you. With a regular pelvic floor exercise routine and absorbent incontinence products, you can feel confident in your bladder and bowel control once again.