Pelvic floor muscle exercises for men

This factsheet explains why you need to exercise your pelvic floor muscles and how to do the exercises.

The pelvic floor is a wide group of muscles that works like a hammock.
It stretches from the pubic bone in the front to the base of your spine at the back.

Male pelvic floor diagram

These strong muscles hold up your bladder and bowel.
They help to keep the bladder from opening and back passage closed so you don’t leak urine, poo, or gas.
The pelvic floor also plays a role in maintaining an erection.

It is important to keep these muscles strong.
Strengthening them helps stop problems from starting or makes them better if they have already happened.

These problems can be different for each person, for example:

Needing to pass urine very quickly or often
Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, jump, laugh, or move
Leaking urine after you have finished peeing and are dressed
Accidentally leaking poo or gas from the back passage
Erectile dysfunction (not able to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sexual activity).

Pelvic floor muscles need to be exercised just like any other weak or damaged muscle in the body.
The following exercises will help to maintain or improve their strength.

You can do this exercise in any position, like sitting, lying down, or standing.
Make sure your body is fully relaxed.
Tighten and lift your pelvic floor muscles by closing and pulling up your back passage and urinary passage, as if you are stopping wind and urine at the same time.
You should feel the muscles lift upwards and forwards towards your pubic bone at the front of your body.
The base of the penis should retract and the scrotum (the pouch containing the testicles) should lift into the pelvis.
If you put your fingers over skin between the scrotum and anus (the perineum) you should feel it lift into the pelvis.
If you feel the perineum push down, you are not doing the exercise properly.
It is important to do this exercise without:
- Squeezing your legs together
- Tightening your bottom
- Holding your breath
- Pulling in your tummy strongly
In other words, only your pelvic floor muscles should be working.
You should be pulling your stomach muscles in very gently, but not so much that someone would notice you doing the exercise.
It should be like doing a secret exercise!

Your muscles work all day, but they also need to react quickly, like when you cough or sneeze.
There are two kinds of exercises. You should do both to keep the muscles working well.

1. Slow controlled exercise – for strength and endurance

Tighten your pelvic floor muscle and hold tight for as many seconds as you can (up to a maximum of 10 seconds).
Relax for the same number of seconds.

How long can you hold tight in seconds?

Tick Box

Repeat the exercise (up to a maximum of 10 times).

How many times can you repeat it?

Tick Box

2. Short, quick exercise – for speed

Tighten and lift the pelvic floor muscle as fast as you can to reach your best contraction.
Then immediately relax the muscle until it is fully at rest, i.e., relax for four to five seconds.
Repeat the exercise up to a maximum of 10 times.

How many quick contractions can you do?

Tick Box

The numbers in these boxes are your starting point.
As your muscles get stronger, do more.
Try to do the exercises 4 to 6 times each day.
If you do fewer than 40 exercises a day, the muscles may not get stronger.
It can take about 2 months to notice changes, and 3 to 6 months for the best results.

The hardest part is remembering to do the exercises. Here are some tips:

Set alarms on your phone.
Do the exercises after you go to the toilet.
Link them to daily habits, like brushing your teeth, washing up, waking up, or going to bed.
Put reminder stickers where you will see them, like the TV, bathroom mirror, or kitchen sink.
Use a phone app, like the NHS app “Squeezy for Men”.
Once the muscles are strong it is important to maintain them.
Remember the exercises once a day and make it a lifetime habit.

You should feel the base of the penis draw up slightly towards the abdomen if you are doing the exercise correctly.
When you are peeing, you can try to briefly stop the flow near the end.
If it slows or stops, you are doing it correctly.
If nothing happens, your muscles may just be weak. Keep doing the exercises and try again in a few weeks before getting help.
If the flow gets faster, you are doing it wrong. Stop the exercise and ask a health professional to show you the right way.
This is a test only, do it no more than once a week.
Otherwise, it may interfere with normal bladder emptying.

Tighten your pelvic floor muscles before you cough, sneeze, laugh, or lift things.
Gently tighten them (not as strong as your exercises) and try to hold them when you are standing for a long time or going up and down stairs.
Avoid heavy lifting (using both hands) for at least 3 months after pelvic surgery.
If you are struggling with these exercises, see your GP. They may send you to a Nurse or Physiotherapist who can help you do them correctly.