Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men: A Plain Guide

Pelvic floor exercises for men, often called Kegels, come down to one movement: squeeze and lift the muscles at the base of your pelvis, hold for a moment, then let go fully. This page is the plain overview. Each section answers one question in a few lines and links to the full guide.

What the pelvic floor is

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis. You can't see them work, and you don't need equipment to exercise them. You can do it sitting, lying down or standing.

How to find the muscles

They're the muscles you'd use to stop yourself passing wind. The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust leaflet also describes the feeling of "zipping up" inside. While you squeeze, your stomach, buttocks and thighs stay relaxed.

How to do the exercise

Sit or lie down, whichever is comfortable.
Squeeze and lift the muscles you would use to stop yourself passing wind.
Let go fully before the next squeeze.

Keep breathing as usual, and don't tighten your stomach, buttocks or thighs. These are the steps Steady shows in How to do it.

Where to start

Start short. MedlinePlus describes holds of 3 to 5 seconds. Steady's free Beginner plan is 8 rounds of squeeze 3 s, hold 3 s and relax 5 s, about 1 min 28 s. Day 1 of Steady 28 is about 1 minute.

Quick squeezes and held squeezes

Sources describe two versions of the same movement: a quick squeeze, let go straight away, and a slow squeeze, held for several seconds. Steady has a session for each: Quick squeezes (1 s and 2 s, 15 rounds, free) and Long holds (3 s, 12 s and 15 s, 7 rounds, Pro).

Relaxing the pelvic floor

Letting go is half of every squeeze. Pelvic Floor First says to relax after each one. Some people also practice relaxation on its own, with slow breathing, which an NHS leaflet from University Hospitals Plymouth describes. Steady's free Relax set times a slow Breathe in and Let go, with no squeeze.

How many, and how often

Each source gives its own numbers. Several describe sets of around 8 to 10 squeezes, three times a day. Steady doesn't set a number for you.

Can you overdo it

Yes, according to Cleveland Clinic and MedlinePlus. Fewer squeezes done correctly come first, the relax matters, and if anything hurts, you stop.

Making it a habit

Pelvic Floor First suggests linking the exercise to something you already do, like meal times or brushing your teeth. Steady adds up to three daily reminders, a home-screen widget and a streak that counts days with a finished session.

Keeping it private

Steady has no account and no ads. Your training is never uploaded. There is no Steady server. Purchases go through Google Play.

Try it now

The free Kegel timer runs a squeeze, hold and relax rhythm in your browser, with your own seconds and rounds. It stores nothing. Steady 28 shows every day of the 28-day plan, with week 1 free.

A note on health

Every page here describes the exercise and the app, never what they do for your body. Health sentences are short summaries of public sources, listed with the date we checked them on Sources. This isn't medical advice. If anything hurts, stop. If you have symptoms or health questions, speak with a doctor or pelvic health physiotherapist.

In the app

Steady times each squeeze, hold and relax with cues you can feel and hear, and records the sessions you finish on your phone.