Prevention tips 1

YOU’VE probably heard of women doing pelvic floor exercises post-pregnancy. You might even know the term “Kegel exercises”, named after the professor who first developed them back in 1948.

What are Kegel exercises?

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pelvic floor exercises can help men tackle body issues

But did you also know that these techniques can be useful for men too? They can help condition us against often unspoken and potentially embarrassing challenges like urine leakage or erectile dysfunction.

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Kegel exercises simply consist of repeatedly clenching and releasing the muscles that support the bladder and bowel in order to strengthen them.

Should I do Kegel exercises?

While they might be thought of as being for people over 40, anyone with bladder issues or those with problems in the bedroom, senior trainer and fitness professional Dan Cunningham thinks they should be part of our daily routine at any age. Dan, a senior trainer for Third Space in Canary Wharf, London, says: “I work with everybody from young adults to the elderly, including clients who have health issues such as incontinence. “I look at the pelvic floor as a critical part of our core and try to treat it holistically. “Our bodies should be built on strong foundations and that means having a strong pelvic floor.” Dan suggests a series of exercises for everyone, from beginner to advanced, that you can build into your daily routine at home or at the gym. All exercises involve the same clenching movement of the pelvic floor – the muscles that run from your tailbone to your pubic bone and are a bit like a hammock for your internal organs. “Before starting, it’s important to know how to perform this contraction correctly,” says Dan. “An easy way is to imagine you are urinating and then consciously stop mid flow. “Another is to use the same muscles as you would when stopping yourself from breaking wind.” Be patient. You might not notice a change straight away but should start seeing a difference in four to six weeks. This might mean fewer urine leaks or trips to the bathroom during the night, or improved sexual performance.

Exercise 1: Supine Kegels

1. Lie down with your knees bent and feet on the floor in a comfortable position. 2. Clench and hold your pelvic floor muscles for a count of two. 3. Relax for five seconds and then repeat, building up to ten repetitions. 4. Repeat three times a day. Progression Increase the clench to five seconds, keeping the relaxation time at five seconds. “This is an easy one to get started with,” Dan says. “By putting yourself in a relaxed position you can more easily focus on isolating the right muscles. “Breathe normally throughout. It should only take two minutes at a time. You can even do it in bed.”

Exercise 2: Kneeling Kegels

1. Put weight on to your knees and forearms, with your backside raised. 2. Quickly clench and release your pelvic floor muscles for a count of 30 seconds. 3. Relax for ten seconds, then repeat twice more. 4. Repeat three times a day. Progression Concentrate on making each contraction more powerful, working the muscles a little harder, without overdoing it. “Like any muscle in the body, the pelvic floor will increase its strength from different stimuli,” Dan says. “For this exercise, rather than longer holds, we’re using shorter, more powerful, almost piston-like contractions.”

Exercise 3: Standing Kegels

1. Stand in a relaxed position with your weight evenly distributed over both feet. 2. Contract your pelvic floor muscles for a count of five, then relax for five seconds. Repeat five times. 3. Repeat two or three times a day. Progression Increase the number of five-second holds to six, or reduce the time between holds to three seconds. “I often talk about ‘habit stacking’ and this is the perfect exercise to do when brushing your teeth at the beginning and end of the day – stacking two good habits on top of one another,” Dan says. “Unlike our first two exercises, because you’re standing, you are also working against gravity with this Kegel exercise – giving it slightly more impact.”

Exercises 4-6: Combination Kegels

If you want to take it up a level and be even more time efficient, Dan recommends including these “progressive” Kegel exercises as part of an all-body workout. “Everyone knows about big muscle groups such as the quads or the biceps,” he says. “But with the pelvic floor being one of our core muscles, it makes sense to include it in our training. “The risk with targeting other areas at the same time is that you forget to focus on your pelvic muscles, so make sure you know how to contract them before you start.”

Exercise 4: Bridge with progressive Kegels

Lie on your back, with knees bent, feet and lower back on the floor. Driving through heels, slowly raise yourself off the ground. For a cue, think about peeling yourself off the ground one vertebrae at a time. Hold the high position for 60 seconds, breathing normally, feeling tension in the glutes, or backside. Perform Kegel exercises while in position, rhythmically contracting and relaxing the muscles. Lower yourself on to the floor. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat three times. Progression Increase 60-second holds from three sets to five. Another option is to slide under a barbell and lift the increased weight as you thrust upwards. “A good time to fit your Kegels in is when you are doing static bridge work,” Dan says. “Your glute max, hamstrings and transverse abdominals will be working hard to hold the position, and you can then focus on introducing the Kegels.”

Exercise 5: Single-leg deadlift with progressive Kegels

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a kettlebell or other weight in your right hand. Keeping your left leg flexed, raise your right leg off the floor behind you. Control the smooth movement as you hinge at the hips, bringing your torso closer to the floor and lowering the weight in front of you. Reverse movement until you are upright and repeat. Contract the pelvic floor as your chest lowers, release the pelvic floor as it rises. Complete ten repetitions, then swap legs. Progression Once you have mastered the technique, use a larger kettlebell to add more weight. “Single-leg Romanian deadlifts can be quite a challenging exercise, even before you add the Kegels,” Dan says. “Try to keep your body weight balanced and don’t let your supporting knee turn in too much. “Only go as far as your range of movement allows.”

Exercise 6: Kettlebells with progressive Kegels

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, with a kettlebell on the ground in front of you. Lift the kettlebell off the ground, allowing it to swing between your slightly bent knees. Engage your core and keep a neutral spine. Drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell into the air in a controlled manner no higher than your shoulders. Control the descent of the kettlebell back through your legs and repeat in one fluid movement. Complete ten swings with the core engaged throughout, including pelvic muscles. Repeat three sets of ten kettlebell and Kegel swings. Progression Increase the weight of the kettlebell. “This is the Special K move to remind you not to forget your pelvic floor,” Dan says. “Think kettlebells, think Kegels! It’s a simple cue. “This one is asking you to hold the Kegel contractions for the duration of all ten swings – so longer than with previous exercises.”

Note: Kegels aren’t appropriate for everyone. If pelvic floor problems have developed because your muscles are too tense to relax, Kegels may be less effective. If you are concerned, always seek professional medical advice.

Dan Cunningham: ‘Our bodies should be built on strong foundations and that means having a strong pelvic floor’