Kegel Exercises for Men

Exercises that help strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor are called Kegel exercises. Now, for those of you wondering what exactly these muscles are and what they do? To put it simply, the pelvic muscles are crucial as they support the organs in your pelvis, including the bladder, uterus, small intestine, and rectum. They improve bladder control and support bowel movements. They can provide several health benefits for men, such as improving sexual function and preventing urinary incontinence and pelvic pain. Moving forward in this blog, we will discuss Kegel exercises for men, their benefits, how to perform them, and common mistakes to avoid. 

What Are Kegel Exercises?

Kegel exercises, named after the American gynaecologist Arnold Kegel, are exercises designed to focus particularly on the muscles of your pelvic floor that support the rectum, bladder, uterus and bowel in the human body. This exercise involves repetitive movements — slow and fast contractions, which involve tightening and releasing muscles to strengthen the pelvic floor. Though popularised for strengthening the pelvic muscles of women, these Kegel or pelvic floor exercises for men can also show significant benefits, as discussed below.

Benefits of Kegel Exercises for Men

• May help with urinary incontinence, which can be simply defined as the condition of involuntary leakage of urine.
• May improve fecal incontinence by strengthening the muscles of the anus and rectum.
• May manage nocturia, a condition where you wake up frequently during nighttime to urinate.
• Kegel exercises for men may help improve the health of the prostate gland by improving the blood flow to the gland.
• May promote greater sexual function, improve control over ejaculation and increase sexual pleasure as well as orgasm.
  

How to Identify Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

There is an extremely simple method to identify the muscles of your pelvic floor. You just need to think about the muscles that you’d use to control or stop the passage of urine from your body. To do that, you must lie or sit in a comfortable position to focus on squeezing these muscles a bit tightly. If you can do this to stop the passage of urine while urinating, you are using the right muscles. However, it is advised not to repeat these bladder control exercises for men multiple times or frequently, as it can disrupt the functioning of the bladder, causing adverse impacts.

How to do Kegel exercises for men

Detailed instructions for beginners:

• Engage the right muscle: Once you locate your pelvic floor muscles according to the instructions given above, squeeze them tightly for about 5 seconds while breathing normally. When finished, try to count to 5 while relaxing your muscles.
• Frequency of repetitions: Try doing 3 sessions of these bladder control exercises for men per day with 10-15 repetitions in each set. If you get uncomfortable, stop immediately and consult a fitness professional before performing them again. Kegels are not supposed to hurt or put you through pain.
  
• Best practices: Only pay attention to your pelvic floor muscles and don’t contract any other areas of your body, such as your thighs, buttocks or stomach. Also, avoid holding your breath while performing Kegel exercises.
• Progression: After 3 sessions of 10 repetitions each, try to increase the reps from 10 to 15 in different positions, which can be either standing or sitting. Consult a healthcare professional in case of any confusion so that they can guide you about the correct way of doing these exercises.
  

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Avoid overdoing the Kegel exercise as it may increase muscle tension and aggravate symptoms.
• Don’t contract muscles other than the pelvic floor muscles, like the stomach, inner thigh or buttock muscles.
• Maintain normal breathing while doing kegels.
• It is essential to avoid doing the Kegel exercise repeatedly while urinating, as it can significantly increase the risk of bladder infections.
• If you feel pain after doing Kegels, it may be a sign of the wrong exercise so stop doing it and consult a healthcare provider.
• Those with a catheter in place should completely avoid doing the Kegel exercise as it may cause bleeding affecting the bladder muscles.

Tips for Success

• Consistency is key: Set a realistic goal of doing 2-3 sessions with 10 repetitions per session to build a simple routine.
• When to do Kegels: They can be done while you are engaged in simple daily activities such as standing or sitting, or watching TV.
• Tracking progress: You can track your progress by analysing if you gained better control over your bladder and bowel movement, and if there is an increase in the number of repetitions per sessions.

How Long Until You See Results?

6-8 weeks after being engaged in regular Kegel exercises may be enough to expect results. The benefits of Kegel exercises for men will translate into better control over urinary and bowel incontinence. Be patient and disciplined with your approach to see the best results. Furthermore, if you face any challenges or see no result even after doing the Kegel exercise with precision and discipline, it is advised to consult a doctor who can guide you and make a routine tailored to your needs.

Conclusion

To sum up, Kegel exercises, though once advocated for women, have several benefits for men as well. They not only help manage incontinence but also promote better sexual function, significantly improving the pelvic floor muscles. However, in some cases, Kegel exercises may not work, so it is important to seek professional medical help. A healthcare provider can figure out solution to treat issues related to your pelvic floor muscles, so that you can lead a comfortable, stress-free life.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to see results?

It may take around a month or two to see results. You may notice improvement in continence if you do kegel exercises consistently and incorporate them in your everyday routine. 

2. Can Kegel exercises for men be harmful if done incorrectly?

Like any other exercise, kegel exercises for men can also be harmful if done incorrectly. For that reason, it is important to do them carefully with the right posture to avoid any sort of damage to the body. In case of any confusion, consult a healthcare professional who can help you with incontinence and instruct you on the right way to do the kegel workout for men.

3. Are there any risks for men with specific health conditions?

While Kegel exercises for men are generally deemed safe, when overdone or done incorrectly, they may pose a risk to people who are experiencing pelvic pain or those who experience excessive incontinence, for example, huge amounts of urine leakage involuntarily while sneezing, laughing, coughing and lifting heavy weights 

4. Can men’s Kegel exercises improve sexual stamina?

Kegel workout for men or pelvic floor exercises for men can strengthen the pelvic muscles, which means a stronger pelvic floor in men can indirectly have a positive impact on ejaculatory control and erectile function, leading to better sexual health.