Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men

Introduction
Many men may experience urinary leakage caused by a
variety of problems and conditions. Some also have
difficulty controlling wind or leakage from the bowels.
This may be due to weakness of the muscles of the
pelvic floor, which have an important function in
preventing these troublesome symptoms.

What is the Pelvic Floor?

The floor of the pelvis is made up of layers of muscle

and other tissues. These layers stretch from the tailbone
at the back to the pubic bone in front. A man’s pelvic
floor supports the bladder and the bowel. The urethra
(bladder outlet) and the rectum (back passage) pass
through the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor muscles play an
important role in bladder and bowel control. The pelvic
floor also plays a role in maintaining an erection. function in people who experience the urgent need to
pass urine frequently and who may not always “make it in
Why the Pelvic Floor Muscles get weak time”. Bladder training is explained in B&BC’s booklet
‘A Healthy Bladder’.
The pelvic floor muscles can be weakened by:
How to contract the Pelvic Floor Muscles
 surgery for an enlarged prostate gland
 continual straining to empty the bowels, usually The first thing to do is to correctly identify the muscles
due to constipation that need to be exercised.
 persistent heavy lifting
 a chronic cough, such as smoker’s cough or 1. Sit comfortably or lay on your bed with the
chronic bronchitis and asthma muscles of your thighs, buttocks and abdomen
 being overweight relaxed.
 lack of general fitness 2. Tighten the ring of muscle around the back
passage as if you are trying to control diarrhoea
Neurological damage (e.g. after a stroke or spinal injury, or wind. You should be able to feel the muscle
or resulting from other neurological conditions such as move. Don’t try too hard otherwise you will start
multiple sclerosis) can also result in poor pelvic floor to squeeze your buttocks, thighs and/or your
muscle function. People in this group should seek advice tummy muscles inappropriately.
from a healthcare professional. 3. Now imagine trying to draw your penis inside
your body to shorten it, whilst at the same time
Pelvic Floor exercises lifting your scrotum upwards towards your
You can improve control of your bladder and bowel by tummy button. If your technique is correct, each
doing exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles . time that you tighten your pelvic floor muscles
These exercises may also be used in conjunction with a you may feel a dip at the base of your penis, and
bladder training programme aimed at improving bladder scrotum move up slightly.
If you are unable to feel a definite squeeze and lift Also you need to tighten your pelvic floor muscles while
action of your pelvic floor muscles, you should seek you are getting up from a chair, coughing or lifting.
professional help to get your pelvic floor muscles Some men find that tightening before they do such
working correctly - see the final section of this things helps them to regain control.
factsheet. Even men with very weak pelvic floor
muscles can be taught these exercises by a Remember good results take time. In order to
physiotherapist or continence advisor with expertise in rehabilitate your pelvic floor muscles you will need to
this area. work hard at these exercises. You may not notice an
improvement for several weeks and you will not reach
Doing Pelvic Floor exercises your maximum performance for a few months.
When you have recovered control of your bladder or
bowel you should continue doing the exercises twice a
Now you can find your pelvic floor muscles, here are day for life.
the exercises to do:
Other tips to help your Pelvic Floor
1. Your pelvic floor muscles need to have
stamina. To train for improved endurance sit
stand or lie with your knees slightly apart.  share the lifting of heavy loads
Gradually tighten and pull in the pelvic floor  avoid constipation and prevent any straining
muscles. Keep shortening and lifting them for during a bowel movement
as long as you can. Rest for 4 seconds and then  seek medical advice for hay fever, asthma and
repeat the contraction. Build up your ability bronchitis to reduce sneezing and coughing
and strength until you can do 10 slow  keep your weight within the right range for
contractions at a time, holding them for 10 your height and age
seconds each with rests of 4 seconds in
between. Seeking help
2. Your pelvic floor muscles also need to react
quickly to sudden stresses from coughing, To achieve your best results you may need to seek help
laughing or exercise that puts pressure on the from a specialist physiotherapist or continence advisor.
bladder. Practice some quick contractions, They will have a range of treatments available that can
drawing in the pelvic floor quickly and strongly help you learn how to improve your pelvic floor
and then holding it for a few seconds before muscles functions.
relaxing. If you are sneezing or coughing, you
need to be able to squeeze quickly as well as You can get the details of your nearest Continence
holding onto the squeeze until the sneeze or Clinic by phoning B&BC or visiting our website.
cough has subsided. Our contact details are below.

Aim to do a set of both slow contractions (exercise 1)

and quick contractions (exercise 2) at least 3 times each
Prostate problems
day. B&BC also has a fact sheet on ‘Your Prostate and
You’ which gives information and advice on
It takes time for exercise to improve muscles function. prostate concerns.
You are unlikely to notice any improvement for several
weeks, so stick at it! You will need to exercise regularly
for at least 3 months before the muscles gain their full
strength.
Bladder and Bowel Community
Make the exercises a daily routine
The Bladder and Bowel Community
Once you have learnt how to do these exercises, they 7 The Court, Holywell Business Park, Northfield
should be done regularly, giving each set your full Road, Southam, CV47 0FS.
attention. It may be helpful to have regular times
General enquiries: 01926 357220
during the day for doing the exercises; for example,
Email: help@bladderandbowelfoundation.org
after going to the toilet, when having a drink, when
lying in bed. Web: www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org

Fourth Edition:
June 2016

Registered office address: Pegasus House, Solihull Business Park, Solihull, West Midlands,
United Kingdom, B90 4GT. Company number: 10377236. Registered in the UK