from the Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology
It’s a pretty good bet that if you’ve heard of Kegel exercises, you’ve only heard about them for women. After all, there have been plenty of articles that talk about how strengthening the PC muscle can help women who experience urinary incontinence, improve sexual response, and intensify orgasms. But did you know that men have PC muscles, too?
The pubococcygeus muscle runs from the pubic bone in front to the coccyx in back. It’s a hammock-like muscle, with openings for the rectum and urethra. It’s one of the muscles that propels semen during ejaculation and if you’ve ever made your penis bounce when you had an erection, the PC muscle is probably what was doing it.
It’s pretty common for men to have PC muscles that are both tight and weak. If you spend too much time sitting at a desk or in a car, you can put a lot of pressure on the muscle and that can make it lose tone, which can have several different effects on sexual response. For example, if the PC muscle gets tired easily, your orgasms will be both shorter and less intense. It can also lead to erection difficulties, and it can make anal penetration more challenging. Fortunately, it’s easy to deal with.
The first step is to figure out how to squeeze the PC muscle. The best way to do that is to sit on the toilet and start to urinate. Then, stop the flow. That muscle you used was the PC. Once you know how to isolate it, you can squeeze and relax it to build tone. You don’t want to do that by stopping the flow of urine- that’s just for the first time to make sure you found the right muscle. The exercises are called Kegels since Dr. Arnold Kegel published the first research paper on them in 1948.
Some easy ways to tone the muscle once you’ve found it are:
- squeeze & release on a two-count
- squeeze & release on a four-count
- squeeze and hold, followed by a release
- butterflies- quick squeezes followed by a release
It’s important to release and relax the PC muscle. You definitely don’t want to cause muscle spasms. And as a personal trainer will tell you, letting the muscle rest is how it builds tone.
But more important than that, when you can control the PC muscle and help it relax, you make receiving anal penetration easier. That’s because it’s all about relaxing the pelvic floor, not forcing it to stretch. Kegel exercises are a great way to learn how to do that “on command,” so it becomes much easier to do prostate play. You might also find that your orgasms last longer since the muscles don’t get tired as quickly, and you might also have firmer erections, too.
Of course, it can be hard to remember to do your Kegel exercises or to do them right. If you have an iphone, check out the app Kegel Camp, created by Emily Morse of the Sex With Emily podcast. It’ll remind you each day to do your Kegels and you have to complete each level five times within a week to ramp up to the next one. With 20 levels to do, it’s an excellent way to make sure you don’t overdo it. Plus, the app comes with a discount code for 15% off at Good Vibrations, where you can find lots of amazing prostate toys, lubricants, and more!
One important thing to know about Kegels: if you’re experiencing pelvic pain or muscle spasms, it’s a good idea to get that checked before toning the PC muscle. Tightening muscles that are already too tight can make it worse. Remember- the goal is to be able to both squeeze and relax. I highly recommend the Pelvic Health Rehabilitation Center for that. They work with people of all genders who are dealing with pelvic pain and they’re available for phone consultation. If you can’t make it to one of their offices, I’d trust any recommendation of theirs for a resource in your area.
Whether you’re new to prostate pleasure or you’ve been doing it for a while, try doing your Kegels. And we’d love to hear from you about how it affected things. Drop us a note or comment below and let us know how Kegels changed your prostate fun!
Charlie
I'm a writer, blogger, teacher, workshop facilitator, sex & relationship coach, and a certified somatic sex educator. I teach workshops and seminars on many different sexuality topics, including sex-positivity, sex & shame, communities of erotic affiliation, many different sexual practices, gender & masculinity, and sexual politics. Contact me for more information, to arrange a speaking engagement, or to find out how I can help you create an amazing sex life.
Follow Me:
