We all know the benefits of exercising regularly. Where most people perform exercises to lose weight or help with control of diabetes and hypertension, some types of exercise can also improve bowel, bladder and even erectile functions.
Australian physiotherapist, Michelle Kenway who is author of the international best selling series of Inside Out – Pelvic Floor Safe Exercise and has comprehensive experience spanning acute hospital settings, private practice, and community, recommends pelvic floor therapy for pelvic floor problems, post operative pelvic floor surgery and musculoskeletal problems.
What is The Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and connective tissues that span the bottom of the pelvis and support the bladder and bowel (consequently helping with bowel, bladder, and sexual function, and the stability of the pelvis as a whole).
In men, the pelvic floor supports the bladder, bowel, urethra and rectum. In women, the pelvic floor supports the bladder, uterus, and rectum.
In both men and women, the pelvic floor plays an important role in bladder and bowel function. When your pelvic floor isn’t working optimally, it can greatly affect your quality of life and lead to symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, painful sex, difficulty with urination or bowel movements, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, constipation, and more.
What Causes Pelvic Floor Dysfunction In Men?
Several factors can result in pelvic floor muscle dysfunction in men, including:
- Age
- Obesity
- Chronic coughing
- Prostate surgery
- Chronic constipation
- Pain
What Is Male Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Male pelvic floor therapy is a specialized physical therapy that involves several exercises designed to treat dysfunctions related to the pelvic floor muscles in men. These muscles support various organs, control bladder and bowel functions, and play a role in sexual health. Issues like chronic pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and post-surgical recovery (such as after prostate surgery) can arise from weak or tight pelvic floor muscles. Male pelvic floor therapy involves tailored exercises, manual techniques, biofeedback, and education to strengthen or relax these muscles, aiming to restore normal function, alleviate pain, and improve quality of life.
Pelvic Floor Therapy Exercises to Perform
1. Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercise is evidence-based training for the pelvic floor muscles. It can:
- Strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- Improve bladder and bowel control
- Improve sexual sensation and arousal
Kegel exercises are the foundation of pelvic floor therapy. These exercises involve contracting and then relaxing your pelvic floor muscles.
How to do Kegel Exercises
Follow these steps to exercise your pelvic floor muscles:
- Feel your pelvic floor muscles in and around your urethra and anus
- Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor openings inwards
- Keep squeezing and lifting your pelvic openings for up to 10 seconds
- Breathe normally throughout your pelvic floor exercise
- Slowly release your pelvic floor muscles back to resting
- Relax your pelvic floor muscles by breathing into your belly for up to 2 minutes
Allow your pelvic floor to rest and recover before repeating this exercise again.
How Many Kegel Repetitions to Perform
For best results it’s important to do the correct number of Kegels. Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by:
- Contracting your pelvic floor muscles up to 10 seconds
- Repeat these contractions up to 8-12 times in a row for one complete set of exercises
- Relax and rest your pelvic floor muscles between every effort
- Aim to complete 3 sets of pelvic exercises throughout the day
2. Quick Flicks
This is yet another exercise that can help you tighten your pelvic floor muscles. It can improve the ability to quickly contract and release the pelvic floor.
- How to do it:
- Tighten the pelvic floor muscles as quickly as you can.
- Hold the contraction for just 1 second and then immediately release.
- Do 10 repetitions, resting for a few seconds between each.
3. Bridge Exercise
This exercise engages the pelvic floor and strengthen surrounding muscles like the glutes and core.
- How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Engage your pelvic floor muscles and lift your hips off the floor, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
4. Deep Breathing with Pelvic Floor Relaxation
Helps relax the pelvic floor muscles and improve control.
- How to do it:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, letting your abdomen expand fully.
- As you exhale, focus on releasing any tension in your pelvic floor muscles.
- Repeat this breathing exercise for 5 minutes, focusing on a gentle relaxation of the pelvic floor.
5. Pelvic Tilts
Promotes flexibility and control in the pelvic area.
- How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and tilt your pelvis upward, flattening your lower back against the floor.
- Hold for 3 seconds, then release and return to a neutral spine.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
6. Adductor Squeeze
Strengthens the pelvic floor in combination with inner thigh muscles.
- How to do it:
- Sit on a chair with a small exercise ball or a pillow between your knees.
- Squeeze the ball or pillow, engaging your pelvic floor muscles simultaneously.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds, then release.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
Additional Tips:
Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on the specific muscles you’re engaging, and don’t use surrounding muscles like your thighs or buttocks to compensate.
Consistency: Like any other exercise routine, consistency is key to seeing results. Try to do the exercises daily.
Breathing: It’s important to breathe normally and not hold your breath while doing pelvic floor exercises.
Who Needs Male Pelvic Floor Therapy?
Men with pelvic floor dysfunction often experience a variety of symptoms, ranging from discomfort to significant functional impairment. Common conditions benefiting from pelvic floor therapy include:
1. Urinary Incontinence
2. Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS)
3. Post-Prostatectomy Recovery
4. Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
5. Bowel Dysfunction
6. Pudendal Neuralgia
Conclusion
Male pelvic floor therapy is a highly effective, non-invasive treatment that Improves helps a range of pelvic-related disorders, from urinary incontinence to erectile dysfunction and pelvic pain. It can be very beneficial for men suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction and can improve overall quality of life. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a healthcare provider to explore whether pelvic floor therapy is right for you.
If you want to learn more about how to improve erectile function using natural alternatives, we recommend you take a look at our penile traction therapy and penile extenders articles, which may offer different strategies to improve bloodflow in that area of your body.
Disclaimer:
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men: FAQ
How often should men do pelvic floor exercises?
Most physiotherapy protocols land on daily practice, split into two or three short sets rather than one long session. Consistency beats volume here in the same way it does with any other muscle group. A realistic starting point is three sets of ten contractions a day, holding each for a few seconds, and building the hold time as control improves.
How long before pelvic floor exercises start working?
Expect weeks rather than days. Men working on bladder control commonly report noticeable change somewhere between six and twelve weeks of daily practice, and gains continue beyond that. The most common reason for seeing nothing is not effort, it is technique, because it is genuinely easy to squeeze the wrong muscles and think you are training.
Can pelvic floor exercises help with erections?
There is reasonable evidence that pelvic floor training helps some men with erectile difficulty, particularly where the issue involves maintaining rather than achieving an erection. The muscles involved help trap blood in the penis during an erection, so strengthening them has a plausible mechanism behind it. It is not a substitute for investigating an underlying cause with a doctor.
How do I know I am doing them correctly?
The muscle you want is the one you would use to stop yourself passing wind, or to stop urinating midstream. Your abdomen, buttocks and thighs should stay relaxed, and you should still be breathing normally. If you find yourself holding your breath or clenching your glutes, you are recruiting the wrong muscles. Using the stop-urinating trick as a test occasionally is fine, but do not make a habit of training that way.
Can you overdo pelvic floor training?
Yes, and it is more common than people expect. An overly tight pelvic floor can cause pelvic pain, urinary urgency and discomfort during ejaculation, which are sometimes mistaken for a weak pelvic floor and treated with even more squeezing. If symptoms worsen the harder you train, stop and speak to a pelvic health physiotherapist, because relaxation work may be what you actually need.
Do these help after prostate surgery?
Pelvic floor rehabilitation is a standard part of recovery after prostatectomy and is one of the better-supported uses of this training. Many surgical teams start men on the exercises before the operation rather than after. Follow the protocol your own clinical team gives you, since timing and progression after surgery are not something to improvise.
