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Pelvic floor exercises are not just for women who have recently given birth. It is also equally important for men to work the perineum. The recent press coverage generated by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy is a prime case in point! A toned pelvic floor can prevent incontinence, frequent urination and prolapses. A large number of women suffer from stress related incontinence at some point in their lives, especially after childbirth and menopause and everyday activities such as laughing or sneezing can cause leakage which can be extremely distressing. Being overweight, excessive coughing and surgery can also weaken the pelvic floor. By regaining tightness, pelvic floor exercises can also improve the sex life.
In men, a healthy pelvic floor can help after a prostatectomy in overcoming and improving incontinence and sexual function. According to the Kinsey Report, the perineum has a very high concentration of nerve endings it is a male erogenous zone, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can be resolved due to the introduction of blood-flow to the area and a University of Bristol study found that men working their pelvic floor for a period of 3 months showed the same success rate as Viagra which would make it cheaper and safer than taking drugs. A good pelvic floor can also stop with post-urination dribbling.
A three- month programme of dedicated pelvic floor exercises is recommended to regain tone and it is highly recommended that the exercises be performed to prevent the return of problems associated with a weak perineum.
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