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5 Powerful Pelvic Floor Strengthening Steps For Men
By Sarah Thomsen
Pelvic floor strengthening has been a gendered topic since it was first theorized as a viable physiotherapy method.
Women were the target of the first types of pelvis-focused health plans, so naturally, the techniques and the overall experience focuses on them. Recently, though, there has been a surge in the amount of information about the reasons why men should exercise their Kegel muscles.
Many health-care professionals agree on the fact that men can benefit from training practices that focus on pelvic floor strengthening, and day after day this topic continues to leave behind its status as a women’s only issue.
But with so much info available and the countless approaches to the subject, it’s easy to get lost in it.
Which is why following these next five steps should make it simple, but effective.
Step one: Understanding the pelvic floor’s importance
Let’s start at the very beginning: we all have pelvises.
Despite this, we aren’t conscious of their impact in our lives until they are not working as well as they used to, which is why comprehending their role in our bodies is crucial.
Therefore, let’s begin by describing their location and functions.
The pelvic floor muscles extend from the tailbone to the pubic bone and are layered throughout this area along with other tissue. They are vital for urine flow and fecal control, and in men they support organs such as the bladder and the bowel.
In supporting them, they create a sort-of flexible wall of protection for the urethra and the rectum, which are the corresponding openings of each of these organs; this is what ultimately allows control over them.
So, in short, pelvic floor muscles deal with some of the most basic processes in our bodies; they are constantly working to make our routines take their courses, even when we don’t know.
That’s why their correct performance depends on how strong and well-trained they are.
Step two: Learning the benefits of a strong pelvic floor
Anyone can benefit from a fortified pelvic floor, but for men in particular, there are several health improvements that should be considered separately.
Reduced bladder and bowel related issues
As aging occurs, we tend to lose firmness in general; when it happens to our Kegels muscles, it can cause issues regarding our bladder and the amount of control we have over it.
Doctor Andrew Siegel describes various affections related to bladder functionality –and how the latter is linked to the Kegel muscles. Urinary incontinence, involuntary bladder contractions and an overactive bladder are all mentioned as problems that could affect men’s overall wellbeing if the pelvic floor is weaker than expected.
Additionally, something called Postvoid Dribbling is mentioned as an especially common and annoying issue that men over 40 years deal with. In simple terms, it’s the “dribbling drops” that occur after finishing urination.
Fecal incontinence is also one major difficulty that might be caused by a weak pelvic floor.
All of these issues could be prevented or ameliorated by using a training program focused on strengthening the Kegel muscles. And though, you should definitely consult a physician if you experience any of this, maintaining a generally firm pelvic floor and pelvic floor muscle exercises can reduce the chances of occurrence.
Reduced chance of sexual disorders
Researchers have been clear on the fact that strong Kegel muscles are especially important for proper sexual performance. In men, muscles of the pelvic floor are vital for erectile function and ejaculation, so when these aren’t working as expected, physicians might suggest a toughening training therapy to get them back on track.
Doctor Siegel has also mentioned how pelvic floor exercises have been useful in the treatment of premature ejaculation, with results going as far as achieving complete control. In addition, they have also proved to be incredibly helpful when it comes to erectile dysfunction, accomplishing total normalization in many cases.
This could indicate that a constant practice of pelvic floor exercises, before a diagnosis, might help prevent any of these issues effectively.
Step three: Unlearning Kegel Misconceptions
After all that useful information, what’s next on the list is learning to unlearn. By this, we only mean that you need to let go of any and every prejudgment you might have had before regarding Kegels.
Go about this with a fresh mindset and forget about how Kegels are portrayed or to whom they are targeted.
If you don’t know how, we’ll help you.
The pelvic floor is not just a women’s thing
As stated in the beginning, all humans have pelvises, and throughout our daily routines we all make use of our pelvic floor muscles.
Kegels are a tool available to anyone who might need them, regardless of gender. Though they were created and are mostly targeted towards women, Kegels are a great physiotherapy method that, as shown above, can help everybody.
Kegels are not just a sexual topic
People also tend to view Kegels as a sexual-related topic only, and though we’ve established how they can help sexual relations for both men and women, that’s not the sole reason for their existence.
In fact, they weren’t created with sexual performance in mind, but it was discovered thereafter how they could also improve it.
This is not just for younger (or for older) people
There are two sides to this coin: on one we have those who believe Kegels are just for young people –especially young women, as it ties to the other two assumptions we described above. But there are also those who think Kegels are only for middle (or older) aged people with issues that require them.
Although none is particularly wrong in the sense that, yes, Kegels can be performed by either of those demographics, they fail when they limit Kegels to only one of them.
Pelvic floor exercises are adaptable to the user, so whether it is a middle-aged man or a 20-something woman, they will work as they’re supposed to.
Step Four: Kegel-ing properly
Now that you’ve learned what having strong pelvic floor muscles imply, you might be wondering, “how does one do the Kegel-ing?”
Well, stop wondering right now!
In a prior guide we covered the basic steps which apply to any gender. But perhaps what differs on the male experience is the fact that you’ll be able to see when you contract the muscles –by way of association, of course, since the testicles will lift as you do it.
Besides that, it’s all the same: squeeze, hold, relax, and repeat.
In the end, what matters is maintaining your focus and practicing properly; lots of repetitions don’t equal good training, but rather engaging the correct muscles the right way.
Step Five: Embracing consistent training
“So what now?” Now comes the hardest part: being consistent.
As with any type of exercising routine, we’d love to see the results immediately after we start training. But in reality, we need to invest our time and have patience to really see the outcome we’re expecting.
The good thing about Kegels is that they don’t take much time out of our days, and we can practice them no matter where we are without sacrificing our comfort.
We just need to make sure we don’t forget about them –which by the way, our newsletter can help you out with a a reminder! So that your routine goes smoothly, and you can Kegel those issues away!
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