Male pelvic floor muscles. Hardly a topic of conversation you’d hear being discussed between a group of guys. But we should be talking about it more. Knowledge surrounding the benefits of pelvic floor health in men is not widely distributed or known, and it’s something that’s often associated primarily with women post-childbirth. However, the issue is common in both males and females, so let’s start talking.
Why do pelvic floor benefits in men need to be discussed?
The pelvic floor muscles are a supportive group that runs from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front. Their main responsibilities are:
Supporting the pelvic organs – the bladder and bowel, especially when standing, and protection from external damage.
A role in erectile function during intercourse.
So as you can see, they’re pretty darn important. They’ll help control your bladder and also contribute to longer and stronger erections during intercourse.
Symptoms of weakened pelvic floor muscles
Leaking urine with activity, like when you’re exercising, coughing, or sneezing.
A sudden and urgent need to urinate (you should be peeing between five and eight times per day or every 2-5 hours).
Leakage of stool from the back passage.
Erectile dysfunction.
Causes of weakened pelvic floor muscles
Weakened pelvic floor muscles can occur for several different reasons:
First, age – as you become older, your muscles generally become weakened and stretched.
Prostate surgery.
Pelvic trauma or related surgery.
Being overweight.
A long-term cough.
Performing Kegel exercises
These Kegel exercises for men are relatively easy to perform. The first step is to figure out where the hell your pubococcygeal (PC) muscles are. These can be identified whilst urinating if you attempt to stop mid-flow. The muscles utilized here to stop your flow of urine are the PC muscles. Once located, general recommendations suggest that you contract and hold your PC muscles for 10-20 seconds and then release them, repeating this exercise 10-20 times in a row, up to three or four times a day. You may be thinking, who’s got the time? But these exercises are fairly low-key and can be performed whilst carrying out other daily activities.
Note to self: it’s strongly recommended that you don’t perform these exercises while urinating. This can negatively affect your ability to empty your bladder properly, resulting in complications such as bladder infections.
Benefits of Kegel exercises
Help improve incontinence issues as the stronger the PC muscles become, the more they can support the bladder.
Help to control the passage of wind and stools.
Have been suggested as part of treatment for erectile dysfunction (combined with a healthy lifestyle for optimum results).
Improved sexual performance (increased pleasure, delaying ejaculations, etc.)
Trusting the process
It’s important to be consistent with Kegel exercises and try to do them simultaneously each day, increasing the duration and repetition as time goes on. You must also remind yourself of the benefits you will receive with long-term exercise. With this in mind, it’s important to monitor progress over time, make a daily note of your pelvic floor habits, ensuring you can see an improvement.
Don’t leave it untreated
In men, pelvic floor issues shouldn’t go untreated; it can be a major factor in your physical and mental health and should be treated accordingly. There are plenty of online resources that can help; however, it is always encouraged that you see a doctor or sexual health specialist if you are concerned to help find a solution and put your mind at ease.