Pelvic Floor Training for Men

Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor muscles are a wonderful, hard-working part of the body that deserves a special kind of attention it often misses out on! Find out more about pelvic health.

Guide

Pelvic Floor Guide

A simple, one-page guide featuring pelvic health physiotherapist Liz Childs. You can also download a simpler, printer-friendly version here.

Video Guide

Pelvic health is important for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or fitness level. With the expertise of pelvic health physiotherapists Liz Childs and Leanne Wait, we’ve put together this guide to answer common questions regarding pelvic health.

Video

Pelvic Floor Exercises: How to do them and why they are important

The pelvic floor muscles are really important muscles. Pelvic health physiotherapist Liz Childs explains the importance of keeping these muscles in good shape and how this can be done.

‍What are the pelvic floor muscles?
‍
‍‍The pelvic floor muscles are the layer of muscles stretching from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. They form the floor of the pelvis.‍

‍The pelvic floor muscles help:

Support the pelvic organs (bladder and bowel)

Maintain bladder and bowel control, and help prevent accidents

Control problems such as frequency and urgency

Empty the bladder and bowel

Gain and maintain an erection

Contribute to core stability

‍Factors contributing to pelvic floor muscle weakness:

Prostate surgery

Neurological conditions, e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s disease

Diabetes

Constipation and straining

Heavy-lifting

Lack of general fitness

Ageing

Obesity

Disuse (not exercising the pelvic floor muscles)

‍‍ ‍How to work your Pelvic Floor Muscles

The first step is to correctly identify the muscles:

Sit comfortably, in an upright position - your thighs, buttocks and tummy muscles should be relaxed.

Squeeze and lift inside as if you were trying to stop passing urine, or stop yourself passing wind. If you are only able to feel a small movement - don't worry! Even people with very weak muscles can improve.

If you feel unsure whether you have identified the correct muscles try to stop your flow when passing urine, then restart it. Only do this to identify the correct muscles to use – THIS IS A TEST ONLY – not an exercise.

If you are unable to feel a definite squeeze and lift action in your pelvic floor muscles you should seek professional advice from a specialised pelvic floor physiotherapist or continence advisor.

‍Starting your Pelvic Floor Muscle Training programme
‍
‍At first, you may need to perform these exercises while sitting or lying. As the muscles strengthen, you can progress to other positions such as standing. Like any activity, start with what you can achieve and progress from there.‍

If you can feel the muscles working, exercise them by:

Squeezing / tightening and drawing up and in around both your anus (back passage) and urethra (bladder outlet)

LIFT UP inside and try to HOLD this contraction STRONGLY for as long as you can (1-10 seconds). KEEP BREATHING! Now release and RELAX. You should have a definite feeling of letting go.

Rest for 10 seconds - repeat, and remember it is important to rest after each one. If you find it easy to hold, try to hold longer and repeat as many as you are able. Work towards 10 long, strong holds (this is 1 set)

Now try 5 -10 short, fast STRONG contractions.

‍Do NOT hold your breath.

Do NOT push down instead of squeezing and lifting.

Do NOT suck your tummy in tightly, however you should feel a gentle pulling in of your lower tummy as you exercise the pelvic floor muscles.

Do NOT tighten your buttocks or thighs.

Try to set aside time each day for your exercises. Aim for 3 sets, but remember QUALITY is important.

A few GOOD contractions are more beneficial than many half-hearted ones and good results take TIME and EFFORT.

Remember to use the muscles when you need them most. Always tighten before you cough, sneeze, lift, bend, get up out of a chair etc.

Progressing your programme:

Increase the length and number of holds you do in succession before experiencing muscle fatigue.

Work towards 10 long, strong holds. Increase the number of short fast contractions.

Always do your maximum number of QUALITY contractions.

Some helpful hints

Keep your weight within a healthy range for your height and age

Develop good bowel habits

Improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength will take 3-4 months of regular training of the muscles.

Remember to use your muscles whenever you exert yourself during daily activities

‍The best results will be achieved by seeking help from a continence advisor or pelvic floor physiotherapist (with specialised training in continence), who will design an individual training programme especially suited to you.

Pelvic floor exercises may also be useful for people on a bladder training programme (see Bladder Retraining).

‍For all enquiries
Continence NZ: Continence Helpline: Call 0800 650 659
Email: info@continence.org.nz

‍The pelvic floor muscles help:

Support the bladder, bowel and uterus (womb)

Close off the bladder and bowel outlets to help prevent leakage

Control problems such as frequency and urgency

Empty the bladder and bowel

Aid sexual response and orgasm

Contribute to core stability

‍Factors contributing to pelvic floor muscle weakness:

Pregnancy

Childbirth

Constipation or straining to empty bladder or bowel

Heavy-lifting

Chronic coughing (e.g. from smoking, bronchitis or asthma)

Being overweight

Lack of general fitness

Menopause

Age-related changes

Disuse (not doing pelvic floor exercises)

‍‍ ‍How to work your Pelvic Floor Muscles

The first step is to correctly identify the muscles:

Sit in an upright chair with your back supported

Relax your thighs, buttocks and tummy muscles

At rest, breathing should be calm – your tummy should gently rise and fall

Squeeze and lift around your vagina or back passage. Imagine you are trying to hold back urine, or stop passing wind

When you lift your pelvic floor muscles, try to keep breathing into your tummy (do not brace your tummy tightly or hold your breath)

‍‍If you are only able to feel a small movement, don’t worry! Even people with very weak muscles can improve. It’s never too late to learn.

If you feel unsure whether you have identified the correct muscles, try to stop your flow when passing urine, then restart it. Only do this to identify the correct muscles to use. THIS IS A TEST ONLY. Do not exercise your pelvic floor muscles this way. If you are unable to feel a definite squeeze and lift action in your pelvic floor muscles, you should seek professional advice from a specialised pelvic floor physiotherapist or continence advisor.

‍Starting your Pelvic Floor Muscle Training programme
‍
‍Start with lying or sitting and try to hold for 2 or 3 seconds. As the muscles strengthen, you can progress to other positions such as standing. Like any activity, start with what you can achieve and progress from there.‍

When you are sure you can lift your pelvic floor muscles correctly, follow the guidelines below to improve the strength and function of your muscles.

Aim to lift your muscles quickly and strongly

As you get stronger, progress the length of hold until you can maintain it for 10 seconds

It is important that you can feel the muscles release fully when you let go

Rest in between each lift for 10 seconds

Slowly increase the number of times you repeat the exercise, until you are able to do 10 in a row (this is 1 set)

Aim for 3 sets per day

‍To progress your exercises, as you lift and hold your muscles, add three quick lifts on top of your sustained hold.
Aim for a quality lift. If your muscles are weak, allow more rest time in between each lift. You may only be able to achieve a few lifts at one time.

Some helpful hints

Seek medical advice for chronic cough

Keep your weight within a healthy range for your height and age

Develop good bowel habits

You should anticipate that improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength will take 3-4 months of regular training of the muscles

Remember to use your muscles whenever you exert yourself during daily activities

‍Once your muscles feel strong, keep exercising them. Aim to do a maintenance set of 10 strong holds every day forever to help prevent future problems.

Do other exercise to stimulate good pelvic floor function, such as walking. Going to the gym may also be beneficial, but it is important you are doing pelvic floor safe exercise. Contact your pelvic floor physiotherapist for more information.

Pelvic floor muscle exercises may also be useful for people on a bladder-training programme (see Bladder Retraining leaflet).

Remember…. it is never normal to leak, so if you are having problems or are unsure how to do the exercises, contact your local pelvic floor physiotherapist/continence professional. The best results will be achieved by seeking help from somebody who is qualified to do a specific assessment and who will design an individual training programme especially suited to you.

‍For all enquiries
Continence NZ: Continence Helpline: Call 0800 650 659
Email: info@continence.org.nz