What about Men?
Pelvic floor exercises....a new cure for impotence?
Pelvic floor exercises have long been recognised as a useful way for women to restore their muscle tone after giving birth, but increasing evidence is emerging that men can also benefit.
Men can have a number of issues related to weakness in their pelvic floor muscles:
- Urinary problems
- Unwanted leakage of urine
- Uncontrolled wind or leakage from the bowels
- Impotence
The pelvic floor muscles can be weakened by
- Some prostate operations
- Regular straining to empty your bowels (maybe due to constipation)
- Chronic cough (eg smokers cough, chronic bronchitis or asthma)
- Being overweight
Doing regular pelvic floor exercises can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and reduce these problems.
Recent research suggests that pelvic floor exercises are highly effective in helping men who have problems developing and sustaining an erection.
A study from the University of West of England, Bristol, suggests that the exercises can help both men with erectile dysfunction (impotence) and premature ejaculation, and also those who experience “dribbling” after urinating.
On top of this, experts believe the exercises can also help improve the quality of orgasm – the UK based Impotence Association says the pelvic floor workout may “increase awareness of sexual sensations and enhance enjoyment” by strengthening the muscles around the penis, improving the blood supply in the pelvis and thus “enhancing orgasmic sensations by strengthening the pelvic muscles that produce ejaculation by their contraction”.
Although the exercises have to be learned, with practice, they can be done while watching TV or doing the washing up. So how about a MUG to help you remember to do these simple, daily pelvic floor exercises?
