Should Men Do Kegel Exercises, Too? Yes, Here’s Why
Key takeaways:
Kegel exercises are a set of contraction and relaxation exercises that target the muscles of the pelvic floor. While often recommended for women, Kegels are helpful for men, too.
Kegels can help improve sexual performance, bladder and bowel control, and less pelvic muscle spasm in men.
If you have incontinence or erectile dysfunction, talk with your healthcare provider first. They'll need to make sure there isn’t a serious underlying medical condition causing your symptoms.
Kegel exercises have been touted as a popular way for women (assigned female at birth) to improve bowel and bladder control and sexual function. But there’s emerging evidence that Kegel exercises can have great benefits for men (assigned male at birth), too. Let’s take a closer look at Kegel exercises and when you should consider adding them to your daily routine.
What are Kegel exercises?
Kegel exercises, or Kegels, are exercises you can do at home to help improve bowel and bladder control. They’re also called “pelvic floor muscle training.” The goal of Kegel exercises is to contract and relax the muscles of the pelvic floor in order to strengthen them.
People who may develop weakened pelvic floor muscles include:
Older adults
People with heavier body weight
People who have had pelvic surgery
People with a history of pelvic trauma
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What are pelvic floor muscles and what do they do?
The pelvic floor muscles are a funnel-shaped group of muscles that line the floor of your pelvis. They’re made up of two groups of muscles called the levator ani and the coccygeus. They separate the pelvic cavity from the perineum (the external genital area).
The main functions of the pelvic floor muscles are to support the bladder and the rectum (and in females, the uterus). They help with:
Allowing bladder and bowel control by contracting and relaxing at appropriate times
Resisting bowel and bladder incontinence with coughing and sneezing
Supporting pelvic organs so they don’t prolapse (fall out of the body)
Strong levator ani and coccygeus muscles are important for good bladder, bowel, and sexual health. Symptoms of weak pelvic floor muscles include:
Trouble holding in your urine
Feeling like you have to urinate more often
Leaking urine when you squat, laugh, cough, or sneeze
Trouble starting or stopping your urine stream
Trouble holding in stool or gas
Constipation
Erectile dysfunction
Premature ejaculation
Lower back pain
What are the benefits of Kegel exercises for men?
Research backs the benefits of Kegel exercises for men. Many potential benefits of Kegels in men include improving:
Stress urinary incontinence after prostate surgery
Overactive bladder
Dribbling after urination
Erectile dysfunction
Premature ejaculation
Pain due to pelvic muscle spasm
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Kegel exercises may also help with bowel incontinence. That’s because the rectum passes through the pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening those muscles can help you have better control of your bowel movements.
If you have symptoms of bowel or bladder incontinence or unsatisfactory sexual performance, you should talk with your healthcare provider first. It could be weak pelvic floor muscles, but a more serious medical condition could be at play. Your provider will figure out what’s causing your symptoms and advise you if Kegels are the best next step.
What are the most effective Kegel exercises for men?
The first step to doing effective Kegels is to locate the correct muscles. The muscles that allow you to control urine flow and pass gas are the ones you want to target.
You can find your pelvic floor muscles by starting to urinate, then stopping the urine flow midstream. Or pretend you’re trying to stop yourself from passing gas. You’ll know if you’re tightening the right muscles by placing a clean finger in your anus and contracting. If you feel a squeeze on your finger, you’re doing it correctly.
Once you’ve identified the right set of muscles, you’ll do two types of exercises:
Short contraction: Quickly contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles. Repeat 3 to 5 times to begin with and work your way up to 10 repetitions.
Long contraction: Contract and hold the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds. Relax for 5 seconds and repeat. Eventually, you can work your way up to holding for 10 seconds and relaxing for 10 seconds. This exercise will improve the supportive strength of your pelvic muscles.
How often should you practice Kegel exercises?
As with all exercises, you should start slowly. Start off doing one set each of short and long contractions per day. When you feel you’re ready, you can begin to increase the number. Eventually your goal should be to do about 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise, 3 times per day. You should notice improvement in your symptoms in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Can you overdo Kegel exercises?
Most people can safely do Kegel exercises. But, you can overdo it. To prevent overuse, don’t do more than the recommended number of repetitions and sets per day. Over-exercise can make the pelvic muscles tense. And this can cause you to strain when you urinate or have a bowel movement. If you feel pain or strain, stop the exercises and let your healthcare provider know.
About 2 out of 10 people don’t do Kegel exercises correctly. If you’re unsure you’re doing them right or if you’re experiencing pain, you may need to work with a pelvic floor physical therapist.
People who already have overactive or tense pelvic floor muscles shouldn’t do Kegel exercises. The only way to know if your pelvic floor is weak or overly tense is to have a physical exam by your healthcare provider.
The bottom line
Kegel exercises have become a common recommendation for strengthening pelvic floor muscles in women. But pelvic floor muscle health is as important for men as it is for women.
Kegels have many benefits for men. They can help improve bowel and bladder control and sexual performance. Always let your healthcare provider know if you’re having symptoms like bowel or bladder leakage or erectile dysfunction. They can give you guidance on whether Kegel exercises could be helpful for you.
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References
Fidoe, S. (2023). The Pelvic Floor. TeachMe Anatomy.
Kandadai, P., et al. (2015). Correct performance of pelvic muscle exercises in women reporting prior knowledge. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Kegel exercises - self-care.
National Association for Continence. (n.d.). Kegel exercises.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2021). Kegel exercises.
Siegal, A. L. (2014). Pelvic floor muscle training in males: Practical applications. Urology.
