As men get older sexual dysfunction becomes a significant problem.
It’s a problem made worse both by falling physical and mental health. Most older men would like to stay sexually active, but they increasingly find it difficult.
It is true that with age, there is a decline in the level of various hormones, including testosterone. However, there are numerous other reasons for sexual dysfunction besides just low testosterone. Sexual dysfunction may be present even in men with normal testosterone levels for their age.
It appears that disease and age-related changes result in worsening urinogenital health, weakening of pelvic floor, weakening of various muscles involved in male erection, and much more.
Thus, older men may not only have erectile dysfunction but also issues with ejaculation (premature ejaculation or inability to ejaculate) and a significant decline in libido or sexual desire.
As men age, the quality of orgasm becomes worse, negatively impacting mental and physical health. Unfortunately, these issues only worsen the already not so good condition.
Kegel exercises can help improve male sexual health, which we discuss in-depth in this blog. Keep reading to find out the benefits of kegel exercises sexually.
What are Kegels?
Researchers have found multiple ways in which a weakened pelvic floor may influence male sexual health. Weakening of pelvic muscles worsens the erection quality, but more importantly, it affects ejaculation and orgasm. Premature ejaculation or issues with orgasm often means a decline in self-esteem and sexual activity.
Further, pelvic muscles in older men not only become weak, but they also become tight. Tight muscles reduce blood flow to the urinogenital tract.
Weakened pelvic muscles cause bladder issues, urinary inconsistency, erectile dysfunction, and much more. Thus, there is a need to strengthen pelvic floor muscles.
Although there is only limited research into the topic, most studies support the need to correct the muscles in the pelvic region to improve male sexual health.
So, what is the Kegel exercise? It is an exercise that helps improve pelvic health, reduces pelvic pain, improves bladder function, and is good for urine flow. It is a way of pelvic floor rehabilitation.
Arnold Kegel, in 1948, realized the importance of pelvic floor muscle exercise for improving male and female sexual health and preventing pelvic organ prolapse. In addition, he understood that some simple exercises could boost sex drive and prevent urinary incontinence.
He realized the importance of strengthening some of the difficult-to-train muscles like levator ani and coccygeus muscles, together sometimes called the Kegel muscle group.
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Can Kegel exercises improve your sex life?
Can pelvic floor muscle training correct muscles and improve male sex life? The answer is “Yes, definitely.” But, of course, it is good to combine it with other modalities. After all, a decline in male sexual health is due to many reasons.
Kegel exercise may not enable men to get multiple orgasms. But pelvic floor muscle training can boost sexual health, prevent pelvic organ prolapse, counter urinary incontinence, correct muscles, improve sexual arousal, and help have better sex.
A literature review shows that Kegel exercises can improve sexual performance and sexual arousal in both men and women. It does so in multiple ways.
Researchers also say that one of the ways it can improve performance is by reducing the pelvic pain caused by various disorders due to weak pelvic muscles. Most doctors think that strengthening the pelvic floor through physical therapy should be a part of all the treatments focusing on sexual dysfunction.
Moreover, it is pretty simple to implement when it comes to physical therapy. There is no need for specialized equipment. All that is needed for strengthening the pelvic floor is patient education.
In one of the most extensive medical literature reviews, researchers found that strengthening the pelvic floor through physical therapy like Kegel exercise is an effective way to improve male sexual performance and manage sexual dysfunction.
The author analyzed almost 37 papers and found overwhelming evidence that strengthening pelvic floor muscles is vital for boosting male sexual health.
What are the benefits of Kegel exercises sexually?
Pelvic floor rehabilitation by using Kegel exercise is an inexpensive and simple way to improve erection quality and boost male sexual health. It helps due to multiple benefits.
It is not only good for sexual health, since it also helps prevent other ailments caused by the weakening of the pelvic floor.
1. Improves penile blood flow
Kegel exercise can help get rid of erectile dysfunction. It can help due to improved penile blood flow and strengthening of the supportive muscles. It also improves blood flow to other surrounding soft tissues and helps lower local inflammation.
2. Improves male sexual satisfaction
Another way it helps is by improving the quality of orgasm and thus sexual satisfaction in men. This happens mainly due to improved ejaculation quality in men and better erectile function.
Pelvic floor muscle exercise can help prevent issues like premature ejaculation. It can also help get ejaculation in those struggling with it.
3. Helps Prevent Urinary and Fecal Incontinence
Sexual health in men and women is related to the health of surrounding organs. Therefore, pelvic floor rehabilitation may help prevent some unpleasant conditions like urinary incontinence, prevent pelvic organ prolapse, and thus improve sex drive.
Another physical problem in which enhanced pelvic floor strength may help is in preventing fecal incontinence. It is vital to understand that issues like fecal incontinence can impact male self-esteem, and managing it is essential to boost sexual health.
Male sexual life cannot improve if a person lives with prostate issues, urine flow problems, bladder pain or incontinence, hyperactive bladder, or other similar matters. It appears that prolonged pelvic floor rehabilitation can help in all these conditions.
Again, it is vital to understand a link between sexual health and other pelvic organ issues like urine flow, bladder problems, and lower intestine health issues.
4. Has psychological benefits
Finally, one should not neglect the psychological benefits of any exercise. Once the men have experienced improved sexual arousal and sexual intercourse, they become more confident. This helps break the vicious cycle of negative thoughts.
Once men realize the benefits of Kegel exercise, they are also more likely to engage in other physical activities and sexual intercourse. All this may be a life-changing experience in the long run.
How to do Kegel exercises
What is impressive about pelvic floor muscle exercise like the Kegel exercise is that it does not require any equipment.
This exercise mainly focuses on strengthening levator ani and coccygeus muscles. These muscles help men stop urinating, improve ejaculation, and tighten the anus. As men grow older, these muscles become weaker, like other body muscles.
At present, there is no fixed way of doing the Kegel exercise. It is because doing it is pretty simple. So, one has to follow some simple rules or movements.
Step 1
First, identify the muscles that slow down or stop urine flow. Here it is vital not to confuse those muscles with lower abdominal muscles.
Step 2
Next, try contracting those muscles, but keep the lower abdomen as relaxed as possible.
Step 3
Now repeat the cycle several times. One may also hold these muscles contracted for a few seconds (5 seconds is suitable for most people).
Here a word of caution is that many men contract other muscles instead of those involved in stopping the urinary flow: some contract lower abdomen muscles, other hips, or gluteal muscles. Similarly, one does not need to contract low back muscles, as they have no role in this exercise.
Additionally, remember that focus is the key when doing any exercise. Thus, focus on the essential muscles, and make only slow and smooth movements. There is no need to make any jerky movements.
One can do Kegel exercise in almost any position. It can be done sitting or standing, walking, or even when working on a computer.
When one has mastered the exercise, one can increase the contraction time from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
It is good to do Kegel exercises ten times and at least three times a day for the best results. Of course, one can do even more frequently, as there is no harm in doing it more often.
Kegel exercises have almost no contraindication. But those who are recovering from prostate surgery or have a foley catheter should not do this exercise.
Conclusion
Most men would like to remain sexually active. It appears that regular sex is also beneficial for male physical and mental health.
However, many men start avoiding sex as they become older, despite a strong wish. The reason for avoiding sex is sexual dysfunction due to falling physical health.
However, withdrawal from sexual life is not a solution as it will only make things worse. Medications can help improve sex life, but they do not help with the underlying cause. Thus, any effort to improve sexual life should be multidimensional, containing the use of medications, exercise, nutrition therapy, and supplements.
The good thing about the Kegel exercise is that it is pretty simple to do, requiring no equipment. You can do it frequently and almost anywhere, and people around you may not even notice that you are exercising. It is one of the most discreet ways of improving male sexual health.
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