Expert: Pete - 7/25/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello Pete

I could not find the right category. Hopefully you can answer my question.

I have read in men magazines and books about this kegels exercise. I would like to know as general knowledge whether this exercise will give you a more hardened or stronger erection or last longer in bed.

Thank you.

Sincerely

James

ANSWER: Hi James

Thanks for asking me this question.

While Dr Kegel created these exercises for female patients with incontinence; they are very helpful for men and women wanting to improve their sexual pleasure.

For men it does help give you more control over your love making and in particular you do become more aware of the point of no return and therefore can last longer.  Erections usually feel harder too.

Women can actually strengthen their Pubococcygeus muscles (PC muscles) so much that they can "squeeze" or "milk" a penis inside of them...amazing stuff.

Here is a simple way of doing the Kegels:

Kegel Exercises

Many people begin doing Keel exercises, which are exercises designed to strengthen the Pubococcygeus muscles (PC muscles), but are squeezing the wrong muscle. It’s important to make sure you are exercising the correct muscle.

Here are two tips to finding your PC muscle:

1. The easiest way to find your PC muscle is to stop the flow of urine while you are urinating. As you are urinating, intentionally stop the flow of urine. Do this several times until you can clearly feel the muscle you are using to stop the flow. This muscle is your PC muscle.
         
2.  You can also check you’ve got the right muscle by inserting a lubricated finger (for women in the vagina, for men in the anus) and squeezing your PC muscle. If you feel pressure around your finger, you're using the right muscle.

How to do Kegel Exercises:

1.  Squeezing Kegel exercises: start slow, find your baseline.

The basic exercise can be done anytime and anywhere. Just squeeze your PC muscles as hard as you can, and hold them. This is doing a Kegel exercise. Start by squeezing and holding for a count of 3-5 seconds, then release and relax for 5 seconds. When you release, notice how your muscles feel. The first time you do a Kegel exercise see how many times you can do it before you feel your muscles getting tired.       
     
2.  Squeezing Kegel exercises: use sets of repetitions
Your Kegel exercises will be most efficient and have the most impact if you get into doing sets of repetitions of the squeezing. Once you’ve found your baseline, you can work from there. If you can, start with doing 5 repetitions (squeeze/hold/release). Judge for yourself how long you can hold the squeeze for, but don’t push yourself too much at first.    
  
3.  Building up strength with Kegel exercises.  
Once you’ve found your baseline, do your exercises, and every couple of days increase both the length of time you hold the squeeze for, and the number of exercises per set. As a guideline, try to work up to a point where you can hold the squeeze for ten seconds. And try to work up to doing ten reps of Kegel exercises per set. So you squeeze, hold for ten second, release, relax for ten seconds, and repeat ten times.          
4.  Do your Kegel exercises three or four times a day.
Try to take three or four times in the day to do Kegel exercises. Again, everyone is different, but as a guideline try to do ten reps per session, holding for ten seconds on each exercise.
         
5.  Vary the intensity and time in Kegel exercises.
You can also try to vary the intensity of your squeezing and the amount of time you hold the squeeze in a set. Once you're comfortable that you're doing the exercises properly try a set where you do rapid squeeze and release. Experiment with how long you can comfortably hold a squeeze. Remember not to push yourself to the point of pain or discomfort.          
6.  Do Kegels while masturbating and having partner sex.
Once you're comfortable, incorporate Kegel exercises in your masturbation. Do them while you're getting warmed up, doing them before you have an orgasm, and even try to do them while having an orgasm. You may notice that Kegels change the way your sexual excitement and your experience of orgasm feels. For some men, Kegels can be a way of “pulling back” from the edge of ejaculation, and can allow them to better control ejaculation.

Tips:

1.  Isolate the PC muscle when doing your Kegel exercises. Avoid contracting your abdominal, thigh, or buttocks muscles, or squeezing your sphincter muscle only. This is something many people do, but it reduces the effectiveness of the Kegel exercise Concentrate on breathing and trying to keep yourself relaxed, and only tense the PC muscles you are using. Try not to tense up your whole body.          
2.  Finding time to do your Kegel exercises. You don’t need to set aside a big chunk of time to do Kegel exercises. Do a few reps while waiting for a stop light to turn green. In the last ten minutes before lunch, when you're sitting at a desk, do a few reps. Do them while you're waiting for the movie to start, or a commercial break to be over.          
3.  Don’t overdo your Kegel exercises. Like any exercise, it’s important to build up slowly, and pay attention to your body. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, you are pushing yourself too hard. It is possible that you could strain the muscles and aggravate a current problem, when you are trying to resolve it.

I hope James the above is helpful to you, feel free to ask me another question via the follow up question option if you want to.

I wish you well.

Pete

PS Please leave a comment and rating!



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Pete

Thanks for your answer. By the way I have rated you. Please check. I would like to ask a follow up to your answer if permit.

In the answer you said to start with slow squeeze then at a later stage try doing a rapid squeeze and relax. I just want to know which is better or more effective? Which type should I focus on?

Thanks again.

Sincerely

James
ANSWER: Hi James

Firstly, thanks for the positive feedback.

To be honest, everyone is different, so I would suggest that you experiment with the different feelings you get with slow squeeze and rapid squeeze.  

Notwithstanding it is important to make sure that you are working the right muscle and getting the right effects.

Rapid squeeze can possibly cause pain, so listen to your body.

You haven't given me any info about your age, level of sexual experience or length of time you can last masturbating or having penetrative sex.

If you give me some indicators of how you are at the moment before starting the Kegels, I may be able to give you some ideas of what you can achieve.

All the best

Pete.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Pete

Thanks for the answer again. By the way my age is 43. My sex experience is very low as I am still single. The average length of time is around 15 mins for masturbating.

I still am not sure whether Kegels can help as claimed, still doubtful and I am not sure if I am exercising the right muscle. Is the muscle between the anus and the private parts ie scrotum?

Thanks

Sincerely

James Chan

Answer
Hi James

Thanks for the follow up question.

The best way to make sure that you are using the right muscle is to follow the tips re stopping and starting urinating and the use of the lubricated finger in the anus when attempting the Kegel exercise.

I think you are using the right muscle from the info you sent me.

If you can already manage 15 minutes masturbating, it should be very easy for you to last 30+ minutes.  This in turn will help you last much longer with penetrative sex.

You do need to give it more than a few days to see the difference.  Give the exercises a month then review.

I hope this helps.

All the best

Pete