Kegel exercises aren't just for women: Here's why and how men should do them too

Think about Kegel exercises and you might immediately assume they are tailor-made for women, especially those who are pregnant or have recently given birth. These exercises, devised by gynaecologist Dr Arnold H. Kegel in the late 1940s, are meant to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles naturally.   And while practising Kegels can actually help women, they are also beneficial for men. Yes, women’s pelvic floor muscles do tend to get strained or weaker during pregnancy and childbirth, and Dr Kegel did create these exercises to prevent unnecessary surgeries. But that doesn’t mean that men shouldn’t reap the benefits of doing these exercises. [caption id=“attachment_8012061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] Here’s how men can benefit from doing Kegels:

• Kegels help prevent or manage incontinence: loss of bladder control can affect both men and women.
• Kegels are recommended to men who are going to or already have gone through prostate surgery. Post-operative therapies for men often include Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
• Kegels can improve men’s sex life by increasing blood flow to the pelvic region. According to a study published in the journal  Progres en Urologie  in 2017, pelvic floor strengthening exercises like Kegels also play a role in treating erectile dysfunction.

Find your pelvic floor muscles

The best part about Kegel exercises is that you don’t need to have a diagnosed issue or condition to do them. Your pelvic floor muscles might not be visible, but they play a huge role in your overall health. The pelvic floor muscles, also known as pubococcygeus, support the bladder and the rectum and control essential functions like peeing.   To do Kegel exercises, you first have to identify these pelvic floor muscles. The easiest way to do this is while you are peeing. Stop and start urinating midstream, and feel the muscles you’re using to do so. Those are the pelvic floor muscles. Another way to trace these muscles is to pretend that you’re trying to stop yourself from passing gas. The very same muscles are contracted while doing this.

How to do Kegel exercises

Now that you’ve identified the pelvic floor muscles, it’s time to start practising Kegel exercises. The best bit about these exercises is that you don’t need to take time out or engage in a special posture to do them. You can lie down, sit or stand while doing Kegels, and nobody will ever know what you’re doing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing the Kegel exercises:

1. Contract your pelvic floor muscles for three to five seconds.
2. Relax your pelvic floor muscles for three to five seconds.
3. Repeat the contract-relax cycle up to 10 times.

It might be difficult to do this exercise or hold the contraction in the beginning. As with all exercises, you will get better at it with time. Once you’re used to doing Kegels, you can increase the contract-relax duration to 10 seconds, too. Your goal should be to go up to 10 sets of Kegel exercises three times a day. Because Kegel exercises can be done anytime in any position, you don’t need to take time out for them specially. You can do Kegels while brushing your teeth, cooking, standing in the metro on the way to work, or while sitting at your desk all day. So when are your starting your first set of Kegel exercises? Read   Kegel Exercises: Benefits and Steps  for more detailed information. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.