Kegel exercises for men are no different than those for women since men have a pelvic floor just as women do. Pelvic floor muscles have nothing to do with pregnancy and childbirth and are involved in providing support for the pelvis, the internal organs that are supported by the pelvis, and sexual function. While pelvic floor and pelvic floor dysfunction are used interchangeably, they are not the same.
Where is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is the inner lining of the pelvis and consists of musculoskeletal muscles, the same type of muscles as your biceps! That means they can get weak and the cause of weakness is not pregnancy or childbirth only. Frankly, there are plenty of women who have gone through pregnancy and childbirth who have no pelvic floor muscle weakness. In men, most pelvic floor muscle weakness stems from doing exercises wrong, lifting heavy items not using their body correctly, and sedentary lifestyle!
In my blog: Where are pelvic floor muscles, you will see that regardless of where the muscles are located, it is important to broaden your view to include many feeders of the problems associated with the pelvic floor and its dysfunction in order to fully address the issues at hand. These include:
- Soft tissue
- Pelvis, hips, and spine alignment
- Nutrition
- Lifestyle and habits
- Sports and Hobbies
- Breathing
- Posture
- Functional Movement
Once again, I invite you to read my blog about the association of each of these factors with the health of pelvic floor muscles if you are serious about your pelvic floor and its’ dysfunction.
Are Kegel Exercises for Everyone?
No! Kegel exercises are typically recommended for those with incontinence. I strongly recommend browsing through my blogs to learn how not every incontinence is the same; for instance, there are certain types of incontinence that are spastic and Kegel exercises are not the appropriate choice of exercise.
How to Do Kegel Exercises
The first thing to know is that Kegel exercises do not involve the engagement of the anus so if you pucker the anal sphincter, you are not doing it correctly! Kegel exercises in men involve 2 primary muscles, the Bulbospongiosus and Pubococcygeus.
As seen in the diagram above, while the Pubococcygeus muscle is located by the anus it is not a part of the anal sphincter and is not involved in the puckering of it. While Pubococcygeus controls urine flow, contracts during orgasm, and assists in ejaculation, Bulbospongiosus is involved in the final stages of ejaculation, compressing the veins to assist in maintaining the erection as well as pushing the last bit of urine in emptying the bladder. Both of these muscles are involved in both sexual and urinary function, and as a result, men become aware of Kegel exercises either to assist or improve their sexual function or because of urinary incontinence and dysfunction.
So to do the Kegels, you ought to think of how it feels with erection and ejaculation and pay close attention to the feeling in the anus. If you squeeze the anus, you are not doing it correctly. When it comes to Kegel exercises, the Emsella Chair which is FDA approved for incontinence by providing 400 Kegels a MINUTE seems to be the go-to device.
According to AP News, “Dr. Brandeis, a Urologist, and Sexual Medicine expert studied the device in mid-life men with weak or delayed ejaculation. He discovered that four weekly thirty-minute treatments with the Emsella protocol was enough to improve the self-reported intensity and duration of ejaculation.”
The chair does not target just the 2 muscles mentioned here but all the muscles that line the pelvic floor and I recommend it to my patients with pelvic floor dysfunction which does not mean Urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction necessarily.
Emsella Chair
Pelvic floor dysfunction is easily missed as its different symptoms are often looked at as individual problems not related to each other which is the number one cause of prolonging the right treatment. In my practice, each session is followed by exercises to assure our patients know what to do exercise and lifestyle-wise that will prolong the strength of their pelvic floor and avoidance of pelvic floor dysfunction.
There are a few presentations where Emsella Chair is not indicated and you should be checked to make sure you don’t fall within those categories.
Contact me to find out if Emsella Chair is right for you and to see if you have pelvic floor dysfunction.