Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men: A Step-by-Step Guide

Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, are usually talked about as something for women after childbirth. Men have the same set of muscles, and training them can help with two common annoyances after fifty: a sudden, hard urge to go, and the dribble that arrives after you have zipped up.

What the pelvic floor is

The pelvic floor is a sling of muscle that runs from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. It supports the bladder and bowel and helps control the flow of urine. Like any muscle, it can weaken with age and inactivity, and like any muscle, it responds to training.

Step 1: find the right muscles

Sit or lie down comfortably. Imagine you are trying to stop yourself passing wind and, at the same time, trying to stop the flow of urine. The muscles you feel lift and tighten inside are your pelvic floor.

Your stomach, buttocks and thighs should stay relaxed, and you should keep breathing normally. If you are holding your breath or clenching your buttocks, ease off and try again more gently.

Don't use stopping your stream as an exercise. It is fine once, to identify the muscles, but doing it regularly can interfere with emptying your bladder.

Step 2: the basic exercise

1. Tighten the pelvic floor muscles and hold for 3 seconds.
2. Relax completely for 3 seconds.
3. Repeat 10 times.

Do one set three times a day: once lying down, once sitting and once standing. Over a few weeks, work up to holding for 8 to 10 seconds.

Step 3: quick squeezes

After your slow holds, add 10 quick, firm squeezes, relaxing fully between each. These train the fast response you need when an urge hits suddenly.

Using it in daily life

• The after-dribble squeeze. After urinating, squeeze your pelvic floor firmly once or twice before you leave the toilet. This helps clear the last of the urine from the urethra.
• The urge squeeze. When a sudden urge strikes, stop, stand still and do a few quick squeezes. The urge often fades enough for you to walk to the bathroom calmly.
• Before effort. Tighten before you cough, sneeze or lift something heavy.

How long until it helps?

Most men who stick with it notice a difference in four to six weeks, with more improvement over three months. Linking the sets to daily habits, such as brushing your teeth or waiting at a red light, makes it much easier to keep going.

If urgency or dribbling is new, worsening or bothering you, talk to your doctor as well. Our guide to how the prostate changes with age explains the most common reasons.