The inability to hold back the flow of urine can be extremely embarrassing for many men, but there are exercises you can do in the privacy of your home or car that can help prevent incontinence. Known as Kegel exercises, they not only help treat this issue, they can also improve your sex life. If incontinence problems persist or worsen, consult your doctor.
Find Your Pelvic Muscles
Exercising your pelvic floor muscles can help with male incontinence; the easiest way to identify these muscles is to pretend you're trying to stop the flow of urine in the bathroom. The muscles that contract during this process are the ones you want to exercise, the Mayo Clinic explains. When contracting these muscles, you may feel movement in your penis and notice a lifting in your testicles. If this exercise is ineffective, consult your doctor.
Kegel Exercise 1
Contract the pelvic floor muscles and hold for about three seconds, the Mayo Clinic instructs. Follow by relaxing the muscles for a few seconds and repeating the exercise. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, recommends working toward three daily sets of 10 repetitions. Its researchers suggest you begin this exercise program while in a lying position, and moving to a sitting or standing position as you get more familiar with the exercises.
Kegel Exercise 2
This variation on the exercise above, recommended by the website Kegel Exercises for Men, requires short, rapid bursts of contractions. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles for one second, then relax for one second. Perform this exercise in sets of five to 10 repetitions with a short pause between sets. Don't hold your breath when performing this exercise and try to use only the pelvic floor muscles, the website adds. For a further variation of this exercise, doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest counting rapidly to 10 or 20, with a contract/relax repetition at each count.
