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The Male “Kegel” Exercise? (A Taboo Subject!)

Last updated on November 7, 2016 By Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT Leave a Comment

the male symbolMen do not prefer to talk about the subject of urinary incontinence, but it certainly does exist. Most men, once they reach their late thirties, will notice that the urine stream becomes less strong. Many men will also note that there is less control over the extra “dribble” at the end of urination. (You can imagine that this can lead to embarrassing situations.)

What most men do not realize is that part of the muscle associated with the urinary tract is under voluntary control, which means that improvements in urinary control can be gained through exercises. Try the following exercise the next time that nature calls…

1. It is advisable that you try this exercise when the bladder is relatively full. This allows for more “repetitions” of the exercise. It does not matter if you are standing up or seated when performing this exercise.

2. Once urination has started and there is full flow, try to completely stop the flow through muscle control. Hold for five (5) seconds.

3. Allow the flow to start up again and repeat this action until the bladder is completely empty.

This exercise does come with a precaution. There is clinical evidence that if the bladder and the urinary canal are not entirely drained, urinary tract infections can result. YOU MUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETELY EMPTIED YOUR BLADDER IF YOU ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT THIS EXERCISE.

Once you have figured out how the muscle works and have better control, you can easily perform “contract and relax” exercises without having to urinate during the exercise. I will often recommend the exercise outlined above as only a means to “figure out” how to contract the necessary muscles. Exercising the urinary tract muscles while NOT urinating is preferable as there is no risk of urinary tract infection.

One final note: I tried to explain this exercise once to a man who thought that it would be fine to stop the urine flow through a pinching motion of his fingers (I do not want to go into more detail). Although this would in fact strengthen his fingers, this is not advisable as a means of strengthening the muscles of the urinary tract.

Filed Under: Exercise & Fitness, Featured Tagged With: Groin



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About Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT

Dan is a licensed Physical Therapist in the District of Columbia, license #PT2916. He has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dan specializes in sports medicine & upper extremity rehabilitation. He is a Certified Hand Therapist, certified by the American Society of Hand Therapists (initial certification date 11/6/2004, certification #1041100023). Dan has extensive continuing education in manual therapy from the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
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DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC insists that all patients receive approval from a prescribing physician prior to starting a structured exercise program involving any of the exercises included on this site. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.