Kegel Exercises For Men (With PDF Download Available)
This is an overview of this idea of doing "Kegel exercises" for prostate health and erectile dysfunction. There is an opt-in form at the end to get a downloadable PDF document with more details about exercises and other things you should know.
But I first want to make a quick mention about a website I stumbled onto in the course of developing this post. Don't know whether or not you've ever heard of a website called "The Generous Husband."
Anyway, Paul and his wife Lori run complimentary sites (she has "The Generous Wife" site). They look like they deal with this issue of sexual intimacy within the context of committed relationships and write from a Christian perspective.
I've not made my faith a focus on this website. I do on this one, but this website is more specifically set up to deal with reproductive health issues and products that can help with all of that.
The reason I mention these two is that I think they "get something that is extremely important. And that is this: sexual expression and intimacy are incredibly important and valuable. But the sexual experience is a means to an end. The end is about bonding and "two becoming one" and in this experience, a husband and wife living out a representation on the earth of God's relationship with His creation.
In short, I enjoy a healthy and beautiful sexual relationship with my wife. But sex is not a toy. It is a gift from God and HIS intention is to use it to draw you and your mate closer to Him. I think you can find some very insightful lessons from these two people.
Ok. And now, let's get down to the business of these Kegel Exercises.
Kegel exercises can help with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
Kegel exercises are done to “train” the PC muscle – the "pubococcygeus muscle" - a muscle that stretches from the pelvic bone to the tail bone. It is also called the “Kegel Muscle.” (It is part of a larger muscle in the pelvic floor, known as the levator ani.)
You have "fast twitch" and "slow twitch" muscle cells.
The PC muscle is made up of “fast twitch” muscle fibers. These muscles are good at fast, intense bursts of activity. (Like a cheetah.) There are also “slow twitch” muscle fibers that are more toward lower-intensity, sustained intensity activity (like walking).
In animal studies, the have determined that the PC muscle contracts at the point of penetration (to maintain rigidity of the penis) and at the point of ejaculation.
Training your PC muscle can create fuller and stronger erections.
Kegel exercises help increase the blood flow to the pelvic area. Any exercise will do that. So as you do these exercises to strengthen these muscles, it improves blood flow in the area and therefore help with available blood when your body is doing its thing for intercourse.
Training your PC muscle can also help with premature ejaculation (and increase sexual pleasure at the same time).
As you’ve been doing the exercises and have strengthened this muscle, you’ll be able to benefit from your efforts during intercourse.
During intercourse, the pressure of the fluid buildup in the male anatomy is what causes the plearable sensation as a male is approaching climax. According to the RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology),
In males, contractions of the prostate and seminal glands produce secretions that enter the urethra and mix with sperm to create semen.
The famous "Masters and Johnson" sex researchers documented a direct correlation between semen volume and sexual pleaure: "the physiological process of ejaculation can be correlated with subjective progression towards orgasm."
By the way, less frequent ejaculation will amplify the sensation as seminal fluids have more time to replenish. (And for those couples blessed with a mutually high sex drive, there are other ways to increase semen volume.)
The benefit of Kegel exercises for preventing premature ejaculation requires self-control.
To prevent ejaculation (and therefore, to prolong/enhance the sexual experience) you’ll have to contract the PC muscle just before the semen is released through the penis.
When (or just before) you reach the “point of no return” during intercourse, you have to flex and hold the PC muscle for 5 to 10 seconds to prevent ejaculation. Hold as long as necessary until the urge to ejaculate subsides.
Since sex is all about intimacy, letting your partner know what you are trying to do can add to the bonding experience as you work through this together, by the way.
Other benefits of Kegel exercises for men:
- Reduced incidence of urinary incontinence
- Apparently, some reported benefit of reducing symptoms of prostate enlargement.
The relationship seems relatively straightforward, to some extent. BPE (benign prostate enlargement) can cause an increased urgency to urinate. Strengthened muscles in this area may help reduce the lack of control.
And increased blood flow in the area is always good for bringing a better supply of oxygenated blood and nutrients into the prostate area. That never sounds like a bad thing.
Realistically, though, its probably also good to make sure you have proper nutrition for your prostate. Prostate supplements are probably vital long-term for any man. And it seems to make sense that the sooner you start, the better off you'll be.
Do Kegel exercises increase penis size?
Well, I have to say that I was a little skeptical about this one. And although I found a few web sites that claimed this is true, I couldn't find a single reputable study out there that can actually attest to this as an outcome from doing these exercises.
It seems the issue of size is more a matter of engorgement of the penile shaft and that has to do with blood flow. But it's blood flow that isn't directly related to the pelvic muscles. Size comes from better blood flow and that has to do with nitric oxide levels and the like.
There are herbal formulas that help with that. But these exercises don't seem to make that much of a difference. (If you find some research to the contrary, please let me know.)
How do men do Kegel exercises?
Before you can train the PC muscle, you have to “find it.” You need to identify this muscle so you can know when you are actually contracting it as exercise.
The easiest way to do this is to stop your urine flow “midstream.” The muscle that contracts when the urine flow is interrupted is the PC muscle.
In some men (not always, but usually) the testicles will also lift slightly when this PC muscle contracts.
The good thing about this is you can do them while watching TV or driving a car. So it will fit into your life without any inconvenience except to remember to do it.
How long does it take to notice the benefits of doing Kegel exercises?
Actually, you might notice the benefits in a fairly short time. By doing these exercises, you will increase blood flow to the pelvic region. Some men also notice erection frequency increasing (including at night).
If you do obtain quick results, it doesn't mean you should stop. Like any exercise, it’s good to keep it up. And regular “exercising” can make for even bigger benefits over time.
Depending on other factors, it could take a while for this to prove any benefit. It could take 3 to 6 weeks or more to notice benefit in urinary incontinence, strength of erections and/or orgasm intensity. And it’s not the whole answer to these issues, either. But more on that later.
Training with "sets of repetitions"
You'll want to do both of these kinds of exercises. But the first type of "Kegel training" is to clench and release the PC muscle. Don't worry about holding it.
Clench and release. Wait a few seconds, clench and release again. The idea here is "short bursts" (cheetah) of the muscle which is more for "strength" of the PC muscle.
Training with "flexing and holding"
The other kind of exercise is to "flex and hold" the muscle. Clench and hold it for a few seconds. Give yourself a chance to let this muscle recover, repeating the flexing or clenching for longer durations over time.
And don’t forget. The PC muscles are muscles just like any other muscle in your body. So avoid overtraining. Don’t do it every day; you need a day in between to rest and recover.
Make sure when you’re doing them, that your back, leg and stomach muscles stay relaxed. You only want to be working the PC muscle. And remember to breathe normally while you’re doing it.
How much and how often do you do these exercises?
You can get a more advanced "schedule" in the PDF report I've made available.
You can get that here, by the way. Just drop in your best email and it will be sent to your inbox.
But let's just say you might want to start a typical Kegel workout by contracting 10 times, maybe 3 sets, with a few minutes rest in between, and then also flexing and holding for one or maybe two seconds. Don't overdo it.
And over the course of weeks, you can work up to a lot more than that. You could even work your way up to 5 sets of 25 or 50 times of quick reps, or longer flexes and holds. Some men do, with reported benefits.
And if you want to find out some "expert" Kegel workout tips for men, be sure to request the PDF report. You can do that here.
What about herbal methods for toning and controlling the PC muscle?
There is only so much that exercise does for any muscle group. Proper nutrition is also helpful and necessary for maximum muscle development.
And the muscles in your pelvic region are no exception.
Having said that, there are quirks to every muscle group in the body. And the PC muscle seems to respond particularly well to some types of herbal treatments.
At the University of Malaysia School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, tongkat ali was given to rats to determine its effect on the pelvic floor muscles. The effects were studied on “chemically castrated” rats and the results showed an increase in overall libido and an increased size of the pelvic floor muscles.
What about herbal methods for controlling premature ejaculation? (“PE”)
The theory here in the scientific literature for preventing PE (premature ejaculation) is concerned with dietary supplements that can strengthen the PC muscle like “Tongkat Ali” and/or to inhibit the destruction of nitric oxide.
(This, by the way, is probably the best and well-tested formulation of Tongkat Ali that I have seen to date. It was developed and tested in 13 different human clinical studies. According to the manufacturer, it is “the only tongkat ali supplement with a worldwide patent for treatment of sexual dysfunction and low testosterone.”)
Nitric oxide plays a crucial role in blood vessel dilation. The way it works is this: blood vessels are surrounded by smooth muscle, and nitric oxide signals this smooth muscle to relax.
When these pelvic muscles muscles relax, blood flow is able to increase because the blood vessels are able to dilate.
Common prescription medications designed to treat erectile dysfunction work by preventing the body from breaking down the nitric oxide in the system, and by that, making more of it available in the system for improving blood flow.
There is an enzyme in the body known as PDE 5 (which is “phosphodiesterase type 5”) and these drugs are apparently designed to inhibit this destructive property of breaking down the nitrous oxide.
These “PDE 5 inhibitors” also have an effect on ejaculation. In a study done at the Mansoura Faculty of Medicine (in Mansoura City, Egypt) researchers found that these drugs modulate the “contractile response” of the prostate and urethra. But the researchers also suggest the findings could use some further investigation to prove out these results.
Some herbs that show benefit in studies are Horny Goat Weed and Panax Ginseng.
Again, some of these studies suggest strong results; some also indicate that they would like to see further study to substantiate the claims or further refine the exact causes for the results they have observed.
You want to be careful, too, with dosages. For instance, I can tell you that I tried “horny goat weed” and it “worked.” But let’s just say, the side effects for me were more than I bargained for.
There are formulas specifically targeted to helping with premature ejaculation. The Kegel exercises can help. But there is more you can do if you have this problem.
Again, it’s always good to consult with a health care professional before taking any supplements. You want to be aware of possible drug and herbal interactions.
And sometimes, it’s good to get these herbal compounds in well-developed and well-tested formulations from reputable companies that have done extensive testing. And you should always pay attention to any listed interactions and “contra-indications” – reasons the manufacturer will caution you about as to when you maybe shouldn’t use a particular formula.
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