How to Kegel for Men
Hi. My name's Michelle Kenway, and welcome to Pelvic Exercises. This exercise video is
to teach men how to exercise their pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor muscles are very
important for men, for support of the pelvic floor, for sexual function, and also for bladder
and bowel control. These exercises are important for men on a lifelong basis. Now, to understand
how to exercise your pelvic floor as a man, you need to understand where your pelvic floor
muscles are. First of all, I'm going to teach you where the muscles are, how to find them,
and then we're going to go through how to exercise them most effectively.
So, let's talk first about how to find your pelvic floor muscles if you're a guy at home.
What you do to find your pelvic floor muscles: you need to think about where they actually
are positioned. If this is the pelvis: this is the pubic bone at the front, this is the
tail-bone at the back. Your pelvic floor muscles run from your pubic bone to your tail-bone
like a hammock. They also sling from side to side, between your sit bones. They're like
a big trampoline of support in that pelvic outlet area. The male genitals sit below the
pelvic floor, so the penis and the scrotum sit below the pelvic floor, but the pelvic
floor muscles sit within the pelvis.
To contract your floor muscles, what you can do as a test is to try to stop the flow of
urine next time you actually go to the toilet (or bathroom.)
See if you can slow the flow by lifting and squeezing the muscles in and around the anal
area, lifting and squeezing the muscles in and around the urethra, so that you're getting
an inward lift and squeeze. If you look in the mirror, what you'll see is a lifting of
the scrotum, and you'll also see a slight retraction of the penis with a correct pelvic
floor contraction.
Now that test I just told you about (emptying your bladder and slowing the flow) can be
used to monitor your strength gains over time (you should become more effective at it,)
but only practice it as a test. Once a week and definitely not if you problems emptying
your bladder.
So that's your technique. You can also try to stop from passing wind. If you stop the
sense of passing wind (if you imagine you're going to pass wind in a public place,) contracting
the muscles around the anal area can also cue you in to correctly contracting your pelvic
floor.
So, there are your cues for actually activating those pelvic floor muscles. Now let's talk
about how to exercise them. Because to strengthen those muscles, it's just like exercising in
the gym. You need repetitively lift and lower them and contract them strongly just as you
would if you were doing weight training in a gym, to actually thicken the muscles and
to improve the control and the strength of those muscles.
When you start, you might choose to start lying on your side, or lying on your back.
In those positions the pelvic floor muscles don't have to work against gravity. It becomes
more challenging for the muscles to work against gravity in the upright position. So if you're
a man and you have difficulty contracting your pelvic floor muscles, perhaps start lying
on your back or lying on your side.
Now cue yourself in to the correct contraction of those muscles I was teaching you about,
in and around that anal area, in and around the urethra. Try to get the correct technique.
Try to lift and draw up inside that position. You're going to lift and squeeze inside. Lift
and breathe and squeeze and hold. Keep lifting and holding. Keep lifting and holding. Keep
lifting and holding. And relax down slowly and rest.
Let's go again. Strong contraction, lift and squeeze, lift and breathe and squeeze. Lift.
Lift. Lift...and slowly relax the pelvic floor muscles back down, rest, and give yourself
time to recover. Some men will find they can do one or two contractions in a row. Some
might find you can actually do multiple contractions in a row. Ideally you try to get up to between
eight to twelve repetitions, those strong contractions in a row, lifting and lowering.
Again, some men will find that they can only contract their pelvic floor muscles for a
couple of seconds in a row. What I want you to try and do at home is as your strength
improves, to try to contract your pelvic floor muscles a little bit longer each time, so
that you're working up to eight to ten second contractions each time you do it.
Let's just review that. You're doing long holds, slow lifts, and then lowering down
slowly for up to eight to ten seconds and you're repeating that for eight to twelve
times in a row if you can. Ideally, trying to do twenty to thirty repetitions a day,
and that is every day.
So your tips are: lying on your side to start so you're not having to lift against gravity
(lying on your side, lying on your back) As you get better, progress to standing exercises.
Also, as your technique improves, try to make your contractions stronger. Voluntarily strong
contractions are very important for strength in those pelvic floor muscles.
Well, I hope this information helps you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles at home. To find
the pelvic floor muscles, and to feel them, and then to exercise them correctly.
For more information on pelvic floor safe exercises and pelvic floor strengthening,
please visit us at PelvicExercises.com.au. I'll look forward to working with you again
soon. Bye for now.
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