Kegel exercises are exercises that focus on deliberately contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles in order to improve both your pelvic floor control and sexual performance.
A man’s pelvic floor can be weakened by prostate surgery, or surgery on other pelvic organs, as a result of injury, chronic constipation, obesity, continuous weight lifting or lack of physical exercise, among other causes. Therefore, a good way to keep this part of the body healthy is through some very simple and easy-to-practise exercises, as we will see below.
What the pubococcygeus muscle is and how Kegel exercises are beneficial for men
The male pelvic floor is made up of a series of muscles that are distributed in three planes in varying degrees of depth. Of these muscles, one that is very important in the performance of Kegel exercises is the pubococcygeus muscle. This muscle, located in the pelvic floor, is part of the levator ani and extends from the pubic bone to the lower spine. The repeated voluntary contraction of this muscle – in Kegel exercises – helps to strengthen it, helping with sphincter control (both urinary and anal) and also with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
To locate the pubococcygeus muscle, the best way is to imagine that you are peeing and then contract it to stop the flow, trying to relax your abdominal muscles at the same time. To check that the muscle is actually contracting, observe the penis retracting with the contraction or feel the area between the testicles and the anus (the “hammock” of the perineum is the pubococcygeus muscle) and verify that the area is in fact contracting.
How to do Kegel exercises for men and how often?
Kegel exercises consist of training the pelvic floor muscles in different ways. The most common ones are these:
Seated pump-ups
Pump-ups are contractions done in slow or fast sets (holding the contraction for five seconds in the first case or one second in the second case), sitting with legs slightly apart and hands on knees, with the torso of the body leaning forward and the back straight.
Reverse Kegels
Sitting in the same way as the previous exercise, the aim of this one is to relax the pubococcygeus muscle as much as possible. To do this, we use the same movement as if we were going to defecate, by pushing the muscles outwards.
Kegel exercises with an erection
Place a small towel over the erect penis, try to lift the towel, hold the position for a few seconds and relax. Ideally, perform the Kegel exercises by repeating them 10 times every day, without holding your breath during the contraction of the muscle. As you get into the routine, it is good to move up to 20 repeats.
Kegel Exercise Chart for Men
Using a range of positions to do Kegel exercises helps to strengthen the muscles. It is good to start doing these exercises lying on your back, with your legs bent and spread apart, until you have mastered them. Then move on to doing them while sitting with your hands resting on your legs, your back straight and your torso leaning slightly forward. Finally, we move on to doing them standing, as part of our daily life. The good thing is that the standing Kegel exercises can be done anytime, anywhere.
An example of a Kegel exercise chart could be as follows (three times a day):
- Fast one-second contractions. Repeat 10 times.
- Then rest for half a minute and repeat, but this time slow contractions, 10 more times.
On the second week it is a good idea to try to increase the repetitions to 20 for each set.
If we dedicate 15 minutes a day to Kegel exercises and establish a routine, we can see benefits within a month and a half or two months. However, each person is different and the timescales may be different, so don’t despair and be consistent.
Safety guidelines for Kegel exercises for men
Pelvic floor muscles, like other muscles, can ache. If you feel tight or sore, you should take a few days off until the muscles recover. Don’t forget to relax properly between sets.
It should also be borne in mind that there are certain problems that contraindicate Kegel exercises. The most common contraindications are:
- Prostate problems: symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia may worsen with the exercises.
- Inguinal hernia: it can enlarge with Kegel exercises, by increasing the pressure in the abdominal cavity.
- Spinal problems: Spinal disc problems (e.g. lumbar hernia) are made worse by Kegel exercises for the same reason as above.
- Heart problems: they also increase venous return pressure to the heart, so men with severe heart problems may be adversely affected by this type of exercise.
We at Eugin are experts in fertility and assisted reproduction, so in addition to helping you with the most appropriate exercises for your case, you can contact us so that our specialists can advise you on everything related to sexual health.
