Pelvic Floor Exercises For A Man's Sex Life

There is abundant evidence that doing Kegel exercises just a few times a day helps men get control over bladder and bowel function, but the evidence that they help a man's sex life is mixed.

Men who want to prolong their erections by delaying climax can do this by tightening pelvic floor muscles; the stronger the muscles, the longer they can hold their erection without ejaculation.

One of the more enthusiastic advocates of pelvic floor exercises as a treatment for erectile function is Dr. Grace Dorey, a retired professor of physiotherapy at the University of the West of England who still supervises research, especially the treatment of incontinence after prostate surgery. Dr. Dorey was quoted in the New York Times as saying "“It’s as good as Viagra, without the costs and the side effects. The pelvic floor muscles provide the base for the erection — for the penis to sit on, if you will.”

Pelvic floor exercises, however, are not for every man. Most urologists recommend:

• Men who have had lower back injuries usually should not do Kegel exercises, at least until they have consulted with their physicians.
• Pelvic floor exercises are unlikely to be the whole solution to a man's sexual problem. Weight control, smoking cessation, diet, and blood pressure regulation also make a big difference.
• In men who have had prostate surgery, however, pelvic floor exercises make a huge difference in recovery time.

Researchers at the University of Alabama conducted an experiment in 2006 that found that men who started doing pelvic floor exercises before their prostate surgery were able to stop using "man diapers" on average 2-1/2 months sooner than men who did not. 

There is also abundant anecdotal evidence, although no formal academic study, that these exercises also help men who have overactive bladder, who need to "go all the time." Pharmaceutical treatment for overactive bladder usually consists of medications that reduce parasympathetic tone, that "dry up" the urinary tract. The problem is that these medications also "dry up" other secretions, such as saliva, sweat, and tears, causing problem dryness all over the body.

So What's Not To Love About Pelvic Floor Exercises For Men?

The man problem most men have with pelvic floor exercises is they can't locate the muscles associated with them. Women typically instinctively know which muscles are involved, while men often have to have their location explained to them.

One way to locate you pelvic floor muscles, if you are a man, is to think of the muscles that are most pressed when you are riding a horse. Or if you haven't ever ridden a horse, go to the toilet, urinate, and stop your flow.

See Also: Prostate Care: Avoiding Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia And Prostate Cancer

Or think back to a particularly explosive sexual climax. The muscles that were activated during good sex are the muscles you need to exercise.

Pelvic floor exercises aren't a miracle cure, but they can make a major difference. Results usually take 2 to 3 weeks.