Turning on your male pelvic floor?
As we get older we often develop pelvic floor issues with difficulties voiding and incontinence. Pelvic floor exercises help with this and can also help with sexual function.
Engaging the male pelvic floor muscles through exercises can significantly improve urinary control, address incontinence issues, and enhance sexual function, especially as we age. The recommended techniques for activating these muscles involve simple visualisations and focused efforts to isolate the muscles without engaging other muscle groups.
Simple instructions which may help to visualise turning on the pelvic floor include thinking of “shortening the penis”, “pull up your scrotum”, imagine “stopping your pee midstream”. Others include thinking of the area that you sit on and pulling that up like a lift going upwards.
It is important not to turn on your abdominal muscles or buttock muscles whilst doing this. Think of turning these muscles on through as many relaxed breaths as you can. Count how many breaths you could hold these muscles on for. Over the next few weeks see if you can improve that count say from 4 to 5, and then 6 and so on. This will improve the endurance of your pelvic floor muscles.
Monitor the duration of the the contractions and strive to extend this duration with consistent practice. Progression in these exercises can lead to better control over urinary function and may also positively impact sexual health.
In summary, incorporating pelvic floor exercises into your routine using visualization techniques and proper muscle isolation can be instrumental in managing these issues and enhancing overall urogenital health.
For personalized guidance and support, consider consulting a physiotherapist specializing in pelvic floor exercises. They can assess your technique, provide feedback, and tailor an exercise program based on your specific needs and abilities.