Physicians have for years recommended women to do pelvic floor exercises, or Kegel exercises, as they are more widely known. Just because they stimulate the pelvic floor muscles that support the uterus, gynecologists encourage women to do it during pregnancy and to continue it for the rest of their lives. If applied for a few minutes daily, these exercises can help give birth and body repair afterward, help prevent urinary incontinence, and improve women's sex life.
Kegel exercises, however, are no longer just for women. Several studies have shown that pelvic floor exercises help to treat urinary incontinence and possibly erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. But the trick seems to be persuading middle-aged men to include them in their daily routine.
Men may do cardio-tonic exercises for their heart and workout their abs for the coveted six-pack, but they appear to neglect pelvic floor muscles. But these are muscles that are directly related to sexual and urological health.
Men have the same pelvic floor muscle network as women, which extends like a hammock from the coccyx to the pubic bone. Muscles support the waist, abdomen, bladder, intestine and help prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. In men, these muscles surround the base of the penis and are activated during erection, orgasm, and ejaculation. They are also responsible for increasing blood flow to the penis.
Like all muscles, pelvic floor muscles are weakened with age. To strengthen them, the directive given to men is to tighten the muscles they would use if they wanted to stop urinating, or exiting the gut. The muscles should be held in contraction for a few seconds and then relaxed. The procedure should be repeated 10-15 times.
While many believe that these exercises enhance erection and orgasm, research findings are insufficient to prove it. However, there are clinical trials that have found that Kegel helps men with premature ejaculation, some of whom claim that these exercises may help restore erectile dysfunction in men. Some experts even consider them to be as effective as Viagra, but without the cost and side effects of the drug.
Recently, a prominent urologist DR Siegel and his team have developed a new pelvic floor exercise system, which is being marketed with the help of a detailed DVD and a special device with light weights applied around the penis and added a little extra tension in the exercises. A small clinical trial has begun, but so far there is no evidence of the efficacy of this new system.
Researchers who doubt the effectiveness of the new system say that one should be particularly cautious when it comes to enhancing sexual function, as many factors affect it, such as obesity, diet, alcohol abuse and smoking. All of these factors can affect blood flow and harm sexual function.
For most men, lifestyle changes are the best way to improve their sexual function.
However, valid research data are demonstrating the importance of Kegel exercises in men who have undergone prostatectomy and are at high risk for incontinence. The findings of such studies are so convincing that surgeons now systematically recommend patients to begin exercises before or immediately after surgery.
In one of the clinical trials, it was found that the average time for men to achieve complete bladder control was 3.5 months in the Kegel group and 6 months in the non-Kegel group.
The American Urological Company, for example, recommends practicing with Kegels in conjunction with other behavioral modifications to treat overactive bladder, both in men and women. Exercises should be avoided by men suffering from back pain, and anyone undergoing surgery should consult their physician.
While women are quite familiar with pelvic floor training, men often have trouble finding the right muscles. It is important to ask for the necessary clarification
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