3 days ago
Why Men Need Pelvic Floor Strength for Better Sex – and 3 Simple Exercises to Do Regularly
Hitting the weights, eating cleaner, healthier foods and improving sleep are all tried-and-tested ways for men to boost their testosterone and improve their sexual performance, but there's an often overlooked method that can have a profound effect. In fact, there's an entire muscle group that is seriously underrated when it comes to boosting bedroom performance: your pelvic floor.
Dr Luke Pratsides, a GP and Head of Medical at digital men's health clinic Numan, is a keen advocate for helping empower individuals to live healthier, happier and longer lives – sex plays an important role in this, with the pelvic floor seriously underrated.
'The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located between the tailbone and pelvis, designed to support the bowel, bladder, and beyond,' Dr Pratsides says. 'For men, these muscles play a key role in sexual function – particularly in controlling ejaculation and maintaining erections.
'Strengthening your pelvic floor can give you a feeling of greater control during sex, delaying ejaculations and helping to manage conditions like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. You can read more about erectile dysfunction and how to treat it further on the Numan website.'
He recommends three different exercises that can be added to your daily routine to help strengthen your pelvic floor, including squats, glute bridges and, er, Kegels...
'You've probably heard of Kegels as something women practice after giving birth, but they're just as important for men. Kegels help to strengthen the pubococcygeus muscle – one of the key muscles involved in ejaculation and erection control,' Dr Pratsides says.
'First, try and find the right muscle by stopping your flow of urine mid-stream (don't do this regularly though, as it can interfere with normal bladder function). Later down the line, now that you've identified the muscle, contract it for 3-5 seconds, then relax for the same amount of time. Aim for three sets of 10 reps, 3-4 times a week.
'With a bit of practice, you'll likely notice an improvement in your control during sex. Some men have even reported delayed climax and firmer erections after just a few weeks.'
'Squats are great for a number of reasons, including the fact they activate your largest muscle groups, which boosts your testosterone production,' Dr Pratsides says. 'Perhaps more importantly, they also engage your core and pelvic floor, providing functional strength and improving blood flow to the groin.
'As a bonus, squats are also proven to boost testosterone and can contribute to reducing belly fat, which can help improve your libido.'
Before stacking weight onto the bar and dropping into a deep squat, it's important to learn how to perform the movement properly with just your bodyweight. This is the perfect opportunity to form good habits before laying a bar across your back. Once you've mastered the bodyweight squat, then incrementally add weight.
To squat, start by standing with your feet a little wider than your hips, keeping your chest proud and your core locked. Sink your hips back and descend into a squat while the knees travel in line with the toes. At the bottom of the squat, the thighs should hit parallel or lower and your elbows should come in between your knees. Drive back up explosively, driving through the heels, tensing your glutes at the top.
'Glute bridges often go under the radar as a great exercise to target both your glutes and your core – they also help to activate your pelvic floor, which is particularly useful for building stamina in the bedroom,' Dr Pratsides explains.
Lie flat on the ground with bent knees, raising your feet onto a bench or plates if you can. Engaging your glutes and core, press your feet into the ground, lifting your hips up until they're fully extended and your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings hard. Pause here before slowly lowering your hips back to the Might Also Like
The 23 Best Foods to Build Muscle
10 of the Best Waterproof Boots to Buy in 2019
6 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health
