Pelvic floor exercises, commonly known as "Kegel" exercises, aren't just for women. Men can benefit from these exercises too. Kegel exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder, which helps prevent urine leakage. In addition to reducing urinary incontinence, performing pelvic floor exercises can ease prostate swelling and pain, and may help reduce premature ejaculation or increase sensation during orgasm. Kegel exercises require no special equipment and can be performed virtually anywhere.
Step 1
Practice moving your penis up and down to locate the correct muscles. Watch your form in a mirror, making sure that you are not moving any other part of your body when moving your penis. If you are using the correct muscles, you will feel your anus contract as you move your penis.
Step 2
Take a deep breath before beginning Kegel exercises and try to relax your muscles. Performing the muscles while relaxed can help improve your focus.
Step 3
Contract your pelvic floor muscles and slowly count to three while holding the contraction.
Step 4
Place your hand on your abdomen while you perform the exercises. If your hand moves, you are using abdominal muscles, rather than pelvic floor muscles. Performing the exercises in front of a mirror can help you detect movements that may mean that you are contracting the wrong group of muscles.
Step 5
Relax for 3 seconds and repeat the exercise five times. It may be easier to perform the exercises lying down at first if your muscles are weak.
Step 6
Increase the amount of time you can hold the contraction to 10 seconds with a 10-second relaxation break between contractions. It may take several weeks until you are able to hold the contraction for 10 seconds.
Step 7
Perform Kegel exercises two times every day. Do 10 sets while standing, 10 while sitting and 10 while lying down.
Tips and Warnings
- Do Kegel exercises at the same time every day. Make the exercises part of your morning or evening routine so that you don't have to worry that you will forget to do them.
- Avoid holding your breath when you perform the exercises. If you hold your breath, you may be contracting your chest muscles, rather than your pelvic floor muscles. Exhale when you first tighten the muscles and then use normal breathing when you hold the contraction. Although you can also determine if you are using the correct muscles by stopping your urine flow midstream, this method should only be used to find the muscles and shouldn't be used to perform the exercises. The National Association for Continence reports that this is not a helpful way to exercise pelvic floor muscles and may lead to infections.
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