You may have heard of Kegel exercises before, but you may be under the impression that only women can do Kegels. On the contrary, both men and women can do Kegel exercises, and can also benefit from them. Once you know how to do Kegels and have practiced for a while, you can do them anywhere, anytime.
What are Kegel exercises?
Kegel exercises are the practice of contracting, flexing, and releasing the PC muscles in order to strengthen your pelvic floor. The PC muscles go from the anus to the sphincter. The pelvic floor, a muscle group located in the center of your pelvic bone, works to hold your inner organs and intestines in place.
Why Kegel?
Strengthening your pelvic floor through Kegel exercises has a variety of benefits. Medically, Kegel exercises can help men with both urinary and bowel incontinence, which is a common problem that occurs with aging, or when you lack muscle tone. Additionally, if you ever experience leaking after urination, developing your PC muscles could help eliminate this problem. In fact, any sort of bladder control issues can be treated with Kegel exercises. Additionally, Kegel may help treat issues with the prostate, such as prostatitis.
Not only does doing Kegels have medical benefits, it can also benefit men’s sexual health. Research has shown that Kegels could improve circulation to the penis, strengthening erections, so it is sometimes recommended to men who struggle with erectile dysfunction. Additionally, Kegels have shown to be effective for men who experience premature ejaculation. Finally, strengthening the PC muscles may improve the quality of ejaculation.
How To Do Kegel Exercises
Now that you know the many benefits of Kegel exercises, you are ready to try them out for yourself!
- Identify your PC muscles. To do this, start by interrupting urination midstream. The muscles you use to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
- Now that you have identified these muscles, you are ready to do Kegels. You may find it easiest to start these exercises lying down, but eventually, you will be able to do them in any position. Tighten your PC muscles, hold for three seconds, then release for three seconds. Do a set of five of these, and gradually work yourself up to more. Once your muscles are stronger, begin doing them as you sit, stand, and walk.
- Take care to only focus on your PC muscles, not your abdomen or buttocks. Breathe freely during the exercises; don’t hold your breath.
- Aim to do three sets of ten a day.
Incorporating Kegels into Your Routine
There are some simple ways to incorporate Kegels into your routine:
- Do a set of Kegels when you are brushing your teeth in the morning and one set when you brush them at night.
- Contract your muscles when you are using your abdomen, such as when you are lifting something heavy, laughing, coughing, or sneezing.
- Add Kegels to your workout routine; for example, do them when you do sit ups or squats.
When will I see results?
If you are regularly doing Kegel exercises, you should see results within a few weeks. Continue to benefit from Kegels by continuing to incorporate them into your daily life indefinitely.
At Men’s Vitality Center in Tucson, we would love to teach you more ways you can improve your health. Make an appointment today for a men’s physical at Men’s Vitality Center.