Background information
Starting at 45, men often face serious health risks
by Martin Jungfer
How targeted pelvic floor training helps against common men’s ailments
3/6/2024
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Long dismissed as just a women’s issue, pelvic floor training is becoming increasingly important among men too – and for good reason. Targeted strengthening of the pelvic floor offers a wide range of health benefits – preventing incontinence, increasing sexual performance or fundamentally strengthening body awareness.
Lifting weights, scoring goals, running half marathons, swimming laps and cycling. There’s a universe of things that men (and women) do to keep fit. However, one muscle region is often forgotten when it comes to typical men’s ailments such as an age-related enlarged prostate, difficulty urinating or potency problems – the pelvic floor. According to a 2017 study (in German), around five per cent reported suffering from erectile dysfunction from the age of 40 and 20 per cent from the age of 60. If you struggle with this, you’ll very quickly wish you’d started doing your daily kegels sooner.
A look at the history book reveals that the term kegeling, which is common in the USA, has more to do with gynaecology. Arnold Kegel invented the first targeted pelvic floor exercises back in the 1940s. At the time, it was intended as aftercare following childbirth. But doctor Kegel also noted the following: his special exercises are suitable for both sexes – which, according to the Journal of Urology and Research, is more relevant than ever.
Specifically, Kegel focused on strengthening the so-called PC muscle (lat. pubococcygeus muscle), an important muscle that sits between the pubic bone and coccyx, performing closing and supporting functions. Incidentally, this muscle region is the same in both men and women and – in simple terms – resembles a hammock that supports the organs, ultimately stabilising the torso.
However, ignorance and disregard aren’t the only factors contributing to gluteal and pelvic floor muscles being significantly underchallenged. Our world is changing, with countless hours of sitting in front of the computer. And any area that isn’t exercised will degrade.
According to chiropractor Moritz Meyer from Düsseldorf, the pelvic floor is «important for the function of the entire musculoskeletal system».
Pelvic floor muscle: where exactly is it and when is it at risk?
Essentially, the pelvic floor muscle isn’t a special muscle, but a strong muscle tendon plate about the size of two hand palms. It closes off the abdominal cavity at the bottom, connects the pubic bone, coccyx and ischial tuberosity and also performs important opening and closing functions. So, your pelvic floor literally plays a supporting role for all statics in the abdominal and lumbar spine area.
For example, strong sneezing (think hay fever), coughing or carrying heavy loads increases pressure in the abdomen. Here, the pelvic floor is called upon to balance things out. It stops this pressure, preventing the organs from sagging.
What are the benefits of pelvic floor exercises for men?
In short, «good, holistic pelvic floor training also includes training some other muscle regions, such as the lower abdominal and back muscles»,says Meyer. That’s why it’s so important to include them in your workouts. «Muscles that are in harmony with each other stabilise the back, relieve the spine as well as the organs.»
For men who have to live with an age-related enlarged prostate, pelvic floor exercises can also help. After all, if you’re all healthy down there, you’ll be better protected against plenty of ailments. Whether it’s flatulence, having to use the loo at night or decreased virility – if you train your muscles, you’ll know how to use them better and have increased control over your body.
Which exercises are useful for the male pelvic floor?
If you do yoga, you’ll already have the pelvic floor on your radar with some exercises, and probably aren’t just working on your biceps. But there are other simple exercises you can do to strengthen this part of the body, away from gym machines. Some of them can be perfectly integrated into everyday life. And if you do them regularly, they’ll soon become part of an unconscious routine, just like brushing your teeth and washing your hands.
To feel the PC muscle, place two fingers between your testicles and anus before the muscle is activated. The following exercises will help you train the pelvic floor. Here, the first step is less about training and more about raising awareness of the muscle regions in the genital area.
- Sit on a hard chair and try to find your bum bones by making circular movements. Then try to pull them together or turn them inwards.
- Have you ever lifted your testicles from the inside? You can activate them with ten short contractions before trying to raise them from the chair. Follow this with ten slow contractions. Complete a total of 3 sets. What’s great about this exercise is that you can do it anywhere in everyday life – nobody will be able to tell.
- When urinating, interrupt the stream and hold it for a few seconds before continuing. Repeat as often as possible until the bladder is completely empty. If you want, you can also add a repetition to prevent the famous last drop.
- Avoid doing two things at the same time on the toilet, i.e. passing urine and stool at the same time. Concentrate on each muscle and release one at a time.
- Try to bring the coccyx (the lowest part of the spine) closer to the pubic bone (to the left and right of the testicles). If done correctly, you’ll notice how your hips move apart from the inside out.
- Imagine you have flatulence and want to hold it back by tensing the necessary muscles. You can also work with repetitions and sets here.
- Lift a table tennis ball (even an imaginary one) from the floor with your buttocks. To do this, squat down and try to grab and lift the ball with your buttocks.
Important: always make sure you breathe in and out continuously during all exercises. Also, keep in mind to pull the muscles tightly together or lift them rather than pushing them down. And, between phases of tension, make sure you loosen your muscles before tensing them again.
Header image: shutterstock
Moritz Weinstock
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oliver.fischer@digitecgalaxus.chNotebook, camera, laptop or smartphone. For me, life's about taking notes – both analogue and digital. What's always on me? My iPod Shuffle. It's all in the mix, after all. This is also reflected in the topics I write about.
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