Kegel HeroHow to Do Kegels for Men: A Step-by-Step Guide
To do a Kegel, draw the base of your penis up and in and lift your testicles. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax fully for 3 to 5 seconds. MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine, advises 10 of these, 3 times a day. Keep breathing, and keep your buttocks, thighs and belly soft.
Kegels (pelvic floor muscle training) work the muscles you use to hold in urine and gas. Pelvic floor exercise, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help you live well with bladder leakage. Pelvic floor training may help improve sexual performance.
How do you find the right muscle?
Try one cue at a time:
- Shorten your penis. Draw its base up and in.
- Lift your testicles up toward your body.
- Squeeze as if you are holding in gas.
A 2022 study by Ben Ami and colleagues used ultrasound to test cues in 35 young men. "Shorten the penis" and "squeeze your anus" each made the pelvic floor lift correctly in 94% of men, and "elevate the scrotum" in 91%. A general "squeeze your pelvic floor muscles" worked for 69%. A "draw in" cue, which also pulls in the belly button, worked for 26%. The men were physiotherapy students with an average age of 26, so older men may differ. For more help, see how to find your pelvic floor muscles.
How do you do a Kegel, step by step?
- Empty your bladder first. MedlinePlus and Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSKCC) both advise this.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, or sit if that is easier (see below).
- Breathe in. As you breathe out, squeeze with one of the cues above.
- Hold for 3 to 5 seconds (MedlinePlus) and keep breathing.
- Let go fully. Rest for at least as long as you held.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Then do 10 quick squeezes, about 1 per second (North Bristol NHS).
- Do this 3 times a day.
As it gets easier, build up to 10-second holds with 10 seconds of rest (Cleveland Clinic, MSKCC). Later, practice standing too (North Bristol NHS, MSKCC). The Goode 2011 trial included 208 men with bladder leakage a year or more after prostate surgery. In its home exercises, holds grew by 1 second a week, up to 10 to 20 seconds. None of the five health guides below goes past 10 seconds. Most programmes in the research ran for at least 3 months. See how long Kegels take to work.
How long should you hold a Kegel, and how many?
Five health guides agree on the basics but differ on the details.
| Source | Hold | Rest | Squeezes per session | Sessions a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedlinePlus | 3 to 5 s | 3 to 5 s | 10 | 3 |
| Cleveland Clinic | 5 s, building to 10 s | 5 s, building to 10 s | 10 | 3 |
| MSKCC | 5 s, building each week to 10 s | 5 s, building to 10 s | 10 | At least 3 |
| UCLA Health | 5 s | Not stated | 10 to 20 | 3 to 4 |
| North Bristol NHS | Building toward 10 s | 5 s | 5 slow, building toward 10, plus 10 fast | 3 |
They disagree on how many. UCLA Health asks for the most: build up to 20 squeezes, 3 to 4 times a day. MedlinePlus says to keep going but not to increase how many you do, because overdoing it can lead to straining when you urinate or move your bowels. See how many Kegels to do a day.
How do you do Kegels without holding your breath?
Keep breathing during every squeeze. Do not hold your breath, push down or brace your stomach.
- Breathe in, then squeeze as you breathe out, and breathe normally through the hold (North Bristol NHS).
- Count out loud, as Cleveland Clinic and MSKCC suggest.
- Keep your belly soft. In the Milios 2019 trial of 97 men, men learned to shorten the penis "while continuing to breathe".
What are the most common Kegel mistakes?
- Pushing down. A Kegel lifts up. UCLA Health says do not push down.
- Squeezing your buttocks, thighs or belly. MedlinePlus, MSKCC, UCLA Health and the Goode 2011 trial all say to keep these relaxed.
- Not letting go. Relax fully after each squeeze. MSKCC says to relax slowly and completely.
- Stopping your urine to train. Do not practise by stopping your urine stream. Use it once or twice only, to find the muscle. Sources differ here. UCLA Health has you stop your stream 2 or 3 times to find the muscle. MedlinePlus says not to do Kegels while you urinate more than twice a month. North Bristol NHS says not to practice stopping your urine midstream.
How do you do Kegels while sitting or at work?
Cleveland Clinic says you can do Kegels anywhere, and MedlinePlus names sitting at your desk. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your back supported.
Sources differ on where to start. Cleveland Clinic and North Bristol NHS say sitting may be easiest at first. MedlinePlus and MSKCC say sitting or lying down both work. The home exercises in the Dorey 2004 trial included lying on your back with your knees bent, as in the steps above.
A correct Kegel moves only your pelvic floor muscles (Cleveland Clinic). UCLA Health says no one can tell you are doing them. MSKCC says standing practice can be very helpful too, because that is usually when leaks happen.
What does a correct Kegel feel like?
- MSKCC: a tightening around the base of your penis and anus.
- North Bristol NHS: the base of your penis pulls in slightly and your testicles rise a little.
- MedlinePlus: the muscles get tight and move up.
In the Dorey 2004 trial, the home exercise sheet told men they could check this standing at a mirror. The base of the penis moves nearer the belly and the testicles rise. MSKCC says to call your healthcare provider if you have trouble feeling these muscles, or if you want a referral to a pelvic health physical therapist.
When should you see a doctor?
- Squeezing should never hurt. Stop if you feel pain, and tell your doctor.
- See a doctor soon if you have blood in your urine, pain or burning when you pee, a fever, a weak stream, trouble emptying your bladder, or you cannot pee.
- After prostate surgery, do not train while you have a catheter. Restart only when your surgical team says it is OK.
- Erection problems can be an early sign of heart or blood-vessel disease. See a doctor to get checked, even if training helps.
If you have pelvic, genital or rectal pain, pain when you ejaculate, or chronic prostatitis, see a doctor or a pelvic health physical therapist before you start. MSKCC lists pelvic pain as a reason to call your provider. Cleveland Clinic says too many Kegels can increase muscle tension or make symptoms worse. It also advises seeing a provider if your symptoms do not start to improve after 6 to 8 weeks.
How Kegel Hero fits
Kegel Hero is an iPhone app, coming soon to the App Store, that paces a routine like this one. Its default Classic plan is 12 slow holds and 10 quick squeezes, 3 times a day for 12 weeks. After that it is 15 slow holds and 10 quick squeezes, once a day. Holds start at 3 seconds, or at the hold you pick in its “Find your hold” test. They grow by 1 second every 7 training days, up to 10 seconds. A relax-only mode swaps the squeezes for slow breaths. The app has no sensor and cannot check your squeeze. It needs no account, your data stays on your iPhone, and it is not a medical device. The planned US price is weeks 1–2 free, then $19.99 once, with no subscription.
Questions
Can I do Kegels at my desk?
Yes. Cleveland Clinic says you can do Kegels anywhere, and MedlinePlus names sitting at your desk. UCLA Health says no one can tell you are doing them.
Should I practice by stopping my pee?
No. Do not practise by stopping your urine stream. Use it once or twice only, to find the muscle.
Do I need equipment?
No. UCLA Health says you do not need any special equipment.
How do I know I am doing it right?
The base of your penis should pull in and your testicles lift, while your buttocks and thighs stay still. Cleveland Clinic suggests that a healthcare provider teach you before you start.
What if it hurts?
Squeezing should never hurt. Stop if you feel pain, and tell your doctor. Cleveland Clinic says pain can mean you are doing the exercise the wrong way, or that Kegels are not right for you at this time. If your pelvic floor feels tight, read about reverse Kegels for men.
Sources
- MedlinePlus: Kegel exercises, self-care US National Library of Medicine. Holds, repeats, cautions.
- Cleveland Clinic: Kegel exercises for men Holds, repeats, breathing, when to call.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSKCC): Pelvic floor muscle (Kegel) exercises for males Holds, repeats, what it feels like.
- UCLA Health: How to do Kegel exercises for men Holds, repeats, cautions.
- North Bristol NHS Trust: Pelvic floor exercises for men Slow and fast squeezes, breathing.
- Ben Ami and colleagues, 2022, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Verbal cues compared by ultrasound in 35 young men.
- Milios and colleagues, 2019, BMC Urology Pelvic floor muscle training around prostate surgery, 97 men.
- Dorey and colleagues, 2004, British Journal of General Practice Home pelvic floor exercises, 55 men, mirror check, lying with knees bent.
- Goode and colleagues, 2011, JAMA Training for leakage a year or more after prostate surgery, 208 men.