Kegel Exercises for Men: How to Do Them Correctly—and When to Stop

Kegel exercises for men can improve pelvic floor strength and coordination, but they are not the right starting point for every urinary, bowel, or pelvic pain symptom. The male pelvic floor must contract when support is needed and fully relax during urination, bowel movements, sexual function, and comfortable movement.

That distinction matters. A man with weakness after prostate surgery may need progressive strengthening. A man with pelvic pain, constipation, a hesitant urine stream, or muscles that already stay tense may need relaxation and coordination before adding more contractions.

This guide explains what Kegels are, how to practice the basic movement, the most common mistakes, and the signs that an individualized men’s pelvic floor physical therapy evaluation may be more useful than doing more repetitions on your own.

What Are Kegel Exercises for Men?

Kegel exercises are repeated contractions followed by complete relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. In men, these muscles help support the bladder and bowel, contribute to urinary and bowel control, and work with the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, hips, and back to manage pressure.

A healthy pelvic floor is not simply “strong.” It needs appropriate strength, endurance, timing, and the ability to let go. Kegels train the contracting portion of that system, but the relaxation between contractions is equally important.

When Can Kegel Exercises Help Men?

Pelvic floor strengthening may be useful when weakness, reduced endurance, or poor timing contributes to symptoms. Examples can include:

• Urine leakage with coughing, standing, lifting, walking, or exercise
• Post-void dribbling after urination
• Reduced bladder control after prostate surgery
• Difficulty maintaining support as the muscles fatigue later in the day
• Some bowel-control concerns after appropriate medical evaluation

The American Urological Association recommends offering pelvic floor muscle exercises or guided pelvic floor muscle training to men seeking treatment for incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Research reviews also suggest that pelvic floor muscle training can improve post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence, although the best timing and program vary among patients.

If surgery is involved, follow the surgeon’s instructions about when to begin or resume exercise. Read more about pelvic floor therapy before and after prostate surgery.

How to Find the Male Pelvic Floor Muscles

Imagine that you are trying to stop passing gas while also gently drawing the base of the penis inward. You may notice a subtle lifting sensation around the anus and perineum. The movement should feel controlled rather than forceful.

Another way to identify the muscles is to briefly notice which muscles would stop urine flow. This can be used as an occasional awareness check, but do not routinely perform Kegel exercises while urinating. Repeatedly interrupting urine flow can prevent the bladder from emptying completely and may increase the risk of urinary problems.

If you cannot feel a clear contraction—or if you are unsure whether you are squeezing, bearing down, or tightening other muscles—a pelvic floor physical therapist can assess the movement and provide feedback.

How to Do a Basic Kegel Correctly

1. Choose a comfortable position. Begin lying down or sitting with your feet supported and your hips, abdomen, and jaw relaxed.
2. Take an easy breath in. Allow your abdomen and lower ribs to expand without forcing the breath.
3. Gently contract as you exhale. Think about closing and lifting around the anus and urethra. The contraction should be small and controlled.
4. Keep the rest of your body quiet. Avoid clenching your buttocks, squeezing your thighs, gripping your abdominals, or holding your breath.
5. Release completely. Let the pelvic floor return to its resting position before beginning another repetition. The release should last at least as long as the contraction.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases uses a three-second contraction followed by full relaxation as a general teaching example and advises working toward additional repetitions. That is not a universal prescription. The correct hold time, number of repetitions, position, and frequency should reflect your symptoms, examination findings, fatigue, and medical history.

Five Common Kegel Mistakes

1. Squeezing as Hard as Possible

A maximal effort is not automatically a better exercise. Excessive gripping can recruit the buttocks, inner thighs, and abdominals while making it harder to feel the pelvic floor itself. Start with a gentle, precise contraction.

2. Holding Your Breath

Breath holding increases pressure through the abdomen and can change how the pelvic floor responds. The goal is to coordinate the pelvic floor with relaxed breathing, not brace your entire trunk.

3. Skipping the Relaxation Phase

The pelvic floor needs time to return to rest. Starting the next repetition before fully releasing can create a gradually tighter muscle rather than a better-coordinated one.

4. Practicing While Urinating

Stopping urine flow can help identify the muscles once, but it should not become the workout. Regularly interrupting urination can interfere with normal emptying.

5. Continuing When Symptoms Worsen

More contractions are not the answer if Kegels increase pelvic pressure, pain, urgency, constipation, or difficulty starting or emptying urine. Stop the exercise and seek an individualized assessment.

When Kegels May Be the Wrong Exercise

Some men have an overactive or nonrelaxing pelvic floor. The muscles may stay partially contracted even when they need to lengthen. Adding repeated tightening without addressing relaxation can make certain symptoms worse.

Signs that relaxation or a different approach may need to come first include:

• Pelvic, perineal, groin, penile, testicular, or tailbone pain
• Pain that increases with sitting, cycling, or sexual activity
• Difficulty beginning urination or a slow, interrupted stream
• Feeling unable to fully empty the bladder or bowel
• Constipation, straining, or a blocked sensation
• Urinary urgency or frequency that worsens with repeated squeezing
• Difficulty taking a relaxed breath without abdominal gripping

The American Urological Association’s male chronic pelvic pain guideline describes pelvic floor muscle training as individualized care that may include strength training, relaxation training, and coordination—not strengthening alone. Men with pain or urinary difficulty may benefit from treatment focused on pelvic floor tension and male pelvic pain.

Kegels After Prostate Surgery

Urine leakage is common after prostate surgery because the continence system must adapt after the procedure. A personalized rehabilitation program may address contraction technique, relaxation, endurance, breathing, pressure management, walking, lifting, and gradual return to exercise.

Many men are told to “do Kegels” without being shown the correct muscles or how to progress the exercise. Some compensate by holding their breath or tightening their buttocks and abdominals. Others perform so many contractions that the muscles cannot recover between sets.

Guided therapy can confirm technique, establish a reasonable starting point, and progress the exercise into the positions and activities where leakage actually occurs. Learn more about why men leak urine after prostate surgery.

How a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Personalizes the Plan

A pelvic floor evaluation begins with a private discussion about urinary, bowel, pain, surgical, sexual, and activity-related symptoms. The physical assessment may examine breathing, posture, abdominal function, hips, back, movement, and the pelvic floor’s ability to contract and relax.

An internal rectal assessment may be discussed when clinically useful, but it is optional and performed only after explanation and consent. External assessment, movement testing, and symptom response can still provide valuable information.

Depending on the findings, treatment may include:

• Pelvic floor strengthening, endurance, and timing
• Relaxation and down-training for overactive muscles
• Diaphragmatic breathing and pressure management
• Hip, back, and abdominal mobility or strengthening
• Bladder retraining and urge-management strategies
• Bowel positioning and coordination
• Progressive return to lifting, walking, running, cycling, golf, or other activities

The goal is not to complete the largest possible number of Kegels. The goal is to help the pelvic floor respond appropriately during real life.

When to Seek Medical Care First

Pelvic floor therapy should complement appropriate medical care. Seek prompt medical attention for an inability to urinate, blood in the urine, fever or chills with urinary symptoms, sudden or severe testicular pain, a new pelvic or testicular mass, rapidly worsening pain, or new numbness, weakness, or loss of bowel or bladder control.

Private Men’s Pelvic Floor Therapy Near Elmhurst, IL

The Healthy Pelvis provides private, one-on-one, in-home pelvic floor physical therapy for men in Elmhurst, Oak Brook, Hinsdale, Lombard, Villa Park, Bensenville, Westmont, Oakbrook Terrace, Westchester, Western Springs, La Grange, Berkeley, Northlake, Addison, and Glen Ellyn.

Dr. Melissa Scholl, PT, DPT brings more than 20 years of physical therapy experience and develops each program around the patient’s symptoms, comfort, goals, and medical history. The Healthy Pelvis is in-network with BCBS PPO plans; coverage and patient responsibility vary by plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do men know if they are doing Kegels correctly?

You should feel a gentle closing and lifting around the anus and urethra without holding your breath or strongly squeezing the buttocks, thighs, or abdominals. You should also be able to fully relax after each contraction.

How many Kegels should a man do each day?

There is no single correct number for every man. Hold time, repetitions, positions, and frequency should be based on symptoms, technique, fatigue, and whether the pelvic floor needs strengthening, relaxation, or both.

Can men do Kegels while urinating?

Stopping urine flow can be used briefly to identify the muscles, but it should not be performed regularly as exercise because it can interfere with complete bladder emptying.

Can Kegels make pelvic pain or urinary symptoms worse?

They can when the pelvic floor is already tense, painful, or unable to relax. Stop if contractions increase pain, pressure, urinary difficulty, urgency, or constipation and seek an individualized evaluation.

Should men do Kegels before or after prostate surgery?

Pelvic floor muscle training can be part of care before and after prostate surgery, but timing should follow the surgeon’s instructions. Guided training can help confirm technique and build an appropriate progression.