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Kegel exercises for men? Yes, you also need to strengthen your pelvic floor

The benefits of these moves may surprise you

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There’s a chance you’ve never even heard of Kegel exercises or Kegels, or you associate them solely with women. However, men can benefit from Kegel exercises as well. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and can improve bladder, bowel, and sexual function.

While Kegels are critical for guys with prostate problems and incontinence, even healthy men can benefit from regularly practicing Kegels. Not only can Kegel exercises for men keep your prostate, bladder, and urinary muscles strong, but Kegels can also enhance sexual performance. Plus, Kegel exercises are blissfully simple and easy to implement throughout the day, leaving you no excuses to avoid them.

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FAQs about Kegels for men

Ready to discover, tone, and tighten your pelvic floor muscles? Keep reading to get all your questions answered and to get squeezing your way to better urinary and sexual function.

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What are Kegel exercises for men?

Kegel exercises, or Kegels, are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and are one of the most effective ways for men to improve and maintain healthy bowel, bladder, and sexual functions. Many men deal with incontinence or an overactive bladder, and Kegels can help ameliorate and prevent these problems.

What muscles do Kegel exercises for men strengthen?

Kegel exercises for men strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which include the bulbocavernosus muscle (BC muscle), the pubococcygeus muscle (PC muscle), and the iliococcygeus muscle (IC muscle). The BC muscle squeezes semen or urine out of the urethra and squeezes more blood into the tip of the penis. The PC muscle supports the pelvic floor, contracts during orgasms, and plays various roles in urination and bowel movements. Like the PC muscle, the IC muscle also supports the pelvic organs and pelvic floor and retracts the anus after a bowel movement.

How do Kegel exercises for men improve sexual performance?

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through Kegels can improve erectile function, give you more control over ejaculation to last longer, and increase the intensity of orgasms. Much like practicing yoga, Kegel exercises increase the neuromuscular control and brain-body connection to your sexual organs, which enables you to have more control over your body during sex.

How can men find their pelvic floor muscles?

The easiest way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to notice the sensation when you try to stop the flow of urine when you’re peeing. That muscle you have to squeeze is one of the key pelvic floor muscles. To identify the IC muscle, lie down and relax all your muscles. Without clenching your glutes, try to squeeze your anus as if desperately trying not to pass gas.

You can verify that you’re squeezing your pelvic floor muscles by standing naked in front of a mirror. As you contract the pelvic floor muscles, you should notice your scrotum lifting upward toward your body.

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Best Kegel exercises for men

Identifying your pelvic floor muscles is oftentimes harder than performing the actual Kegels. Kegel exercises for men are simple and can be performed multiple times per day. That said, if you tend to have a tight pelvic floor, you may not need to perform Kegels, or you should reduce the frequency.

Quick squeezes

Quick squeeze Kegels train the fast-twitch muscles to help you stop urine leaking and control your orgasms. Remember, you’ll want to train the anal muscles and urinary muscles, so perform sets of each. For urinary squeezes, squeeze the muscles you’d use when stopping the flow of urine, but practice it when you aren’t urinating. For anal squeezes, lift and contract your anal muscles without tightening your quads, abs, or glutes. You may find it easier to do this lying down. Complete 10 reps of each.

Long holds

Long holds build the endurance of your pelvic floor muscles and can help you be more in control of your orgasms. Contract the same muscles as the quick squeezes, but try to hold each contraction for 5 to 10 seconds. Build up to 8 reps of 10 to 15 seconds each. Remember to keep your glutes and thighs completely relaxed.

Tips when doing Kegel exercises

Now that you know how to do Kegel exercises for men, here are some general tips for better success, so you can fully reap the benefits of them.

  • Empty your bladder first. It’s easier to isolate the correct muscles when your bladder is empty.
  • Focus on quality over quantity. A strong, controlled squeeze is better than a weak one.
  • Don’t strain or hold your breath.
  • Be patient. It may take a few weeks to feel comfortable and see results.
  • If you experience pain, stop and consult a doctor.
Amber Sayer
Amber Sayer
Former Contributor
Amber Sayer is a fitness, nutrition, and wellness writer and editor, and was previously a Fitness Editor at Byrdie. She… Read Full Bio
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