Men’s Day special
Kegel exercises are very popular in women for issues with the pelvic floor. Can men perform these exercises too? Is there any benefit of Kegel exercises in men? In international men’s day let us discuss the pelvic floor and its exercises in men.
What is the pelvic floor?
If you consider your abdomen as the house of your internal organs like the gut, kidneys, and bladder, then the front wall of the house is made by your abdominal muscles. These are the same muscles which when trained enough sport a six-pack. Similarly, the spine and the muscles of the low back can be considered as the back wall. The roof would be the diaphragm which separates the chest from the abdomen. The foundation of this house will be made by the pelvic floor muscles. They are a group of muscles that (The pubococcygeus or PC muscle is the most well-known among them) bridge the gap between the bones of the lower abdomen and the tailbone.
The functions of the pelvic floor muscles
Pelvic floor muscles have multiple important functions. They support the abdominal contents like a hammock supports someone sitting on it. They are also responsible for erection ejaculation start and control of urination and passing of stool.
Problems faced by men with pelvic floor weakness
Most men with weakness of these muscles complain of two major problems, erectile dysfunction and a sudden frequent need to urinate. Other complaints include constipation and need of straining while passing motion, feeling of incomplete emptying during urination, or the passing of stool. Less frequent and severe problems include the ability to control the flow of urine and stool, diarrhea, etc.
What are Kegel exercises? What are its benefits?
Designed by Arnold Kegel these exercises involve contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. Like push up aims to strengthen your arms and chest, exercises target the pelvic floor muscles.
If a patient is suffering from the above complaints, Kegel exercises are prescribed as a part of their treatment plan. They can also be used as a precautionary measure for a healthy male to prevent pelvic floor muscle weakness. Many people also perform Kegel exercises to improve control over ejaculation.
How to contract the pelvic floor
Before you learn to perform the Kegel exercise correctly, you must understand how the pelvic floor muscle contraction feels. This awareness is best developed in the toilet. You can do this in two steps.
Void your bladder completely. As you are urinating your pelvic floor muscles are completely relaxing. Now contract your lower abdomen as you would do to stop your urine in the mid-flow. This is the first step. The front of the pelvic floor muscles is now contracting. You may need to do this several times to get the correct understanding of the contraction. Step two involves contraction of the muscles around the anus like the way it is usually done to prevent the passage of gas. This activates the muscles around the back of the pelvic floor.
How to perform Kegel exercises
Because the muscles of the pelvic floor are small the best strategy to strengthen them is to perform repeated contraction throughout the day. These exercises do not need any equipment and can be performed in many positions including lying and standing. However, as many of us spend a lot of time sitting idle at our desk, my advice would be to perform them in a sitting position, as a deskercise, thankfully, an invisible one.
To do them sit in an upright position. Now simultaneously contract the front and back part of your pelvic floor and hold for a few seconds. Gradually try to build the hold time to 5 seconds. Similarly, over a period of time try to build your ability to produce 10 contractions simultaneously with a few seconds of rest in between. Be attentive to avoid contraction of the abdomen or buttock muscles; avoid breath-holding as well.
Like any other muscles, the pelvic floor muscles also take a minimum of six weeks to develop.
although this post was primarily intended towards men, these exercises can be performed as a deskercise by women too in the same manner.
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About the author
Dr Subhanjan Das (PT)
BPT, MPT (MSk & Sports), CMP(NZ), Diploma in football medicine (FIFA)
Consultant Physiotherapist of Apollo & Reliva Clinic, HSR Layout, Bangalore
Contact: +91 8967549104
Dr Subhanjan Das (PT) has over 14 years of clinical and 12 years of academic experience. A friendly professional with lots of patience and skilful hands, Dr Subhanjan has worked with thousands of his patients for instant relief of pain and rapid return to activities. He has treated elite athletes for recovery, injury prevention and performance enhancement.
Dr Das is specialized in Orthopaedic and sports physiotherapy and has keeps himself updated with the latest advancements in the field of physiotherapy. He has undergone training on advanced orthopaedic techniques such as Dry Needling, Mulligan Concept, McKenzie method, Pilates, Cupping therapy, McConnel and kinesio taping from the best faculties around the world.
Dr Das has taught in 5 universities across India and has trained physiotherapists in 50+ workshops within and outside India.
Informative topic. Thank you sir.