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Kegel exercises for men: how to do them properly

Updated 23 October 2026. Based on NHS and Prostate Cancer UK guidance.

Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, are usually talked about as something for women. Men have a pelvic floor too, and training it can help with leaking after prostate surgery, dribbling after you wee, and in some cases erection problems.

The exercises are simple, take a few minutes a day and can be done anywhere. The hard part is finding the right muscles and sticking with it long enough to notice a difference.

What the pelvic floor does

The pelvic floor is a layer of muscle that runs from your pubic bone at the front to your tailbone at the back. It supports your bladder and bowel, helps keep the openings of the urethra and back passage closed, and tightens during an erection and when you ejaculate.

Like any muscle, it can get weaker with age, surgery, being overweight, constipation or years of heavy lifting. When it does, you may notice small leaks or less control.

What Kegels can help with

• Leaking after prostate surgery. This is very common after a radical prostatectomy. Pelvic floor exercises are one of the main things the NHS recommends for it.
• Dribbling after you've finished weeing. Squeezing the pelvic floor just after you finish can push out the last drops that would otherwise leak into your underwear.
• Leaking when you cough, sneeze or lift. A stronger pelvic floor holds the bladder outlet closed under pressure.
• Erection problems. There is some evidence that pelvic floor training helps some men. It isn't a replacement for seeing your GP, because erection problems can be an early sign of heart or blood vessel problems.

How to find the right muscles

Sit or lie comfortably with your thighs, bottom and stomach relaxed. Then try one of these:

• Imagine you are trying to stop yourself passing wind. Squeeze and lift the muscles around your back passage.
• Imagine stopping your flow of urine midstream. The muscles you use are your pelvic floor.

When you squeeze, you should feel the base of your penis dip and your scrotum lift slightly. Doing it in front of a mirror the first few times makes this easier to see.

Only use the stop-the-flow test once or twice to find the muscles. Doing it regularly while you wee can stop your bladder emptying properly.

A simple daily routine

There are two types of squeeze, and it's worth doing both.

Slow squeezes

1. Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor.
2. Hold for as long as you comfortably can, up to 10 seconds. At first this might only be 2 or 3 seconds, which is fine.
3. Let go fully and rest for the same amount of time.
4. Repeat up to 10 times.

Quick squeezes

1. Squeeze and lift as hard as you can, then let go straight away.
2. Repeat up to 10 times.

Do a set of each 3 times a day. Start lying down, where it's easiest, then move on to sitting and standing as you get stronger. Over time, aim to hold each slow squeeze for longer.

How long it takes to work

Most men notice some change within a few weeks, but it usually takes around 3 months of doing the exercises every day to see the full benefit. Once things have improved, keep going. A few sets a day is enough to keep the muscles strong, and stopping altogether means the gains slowly fade.

Kegels before and after prostate surgery

If you're having a prostatectomy, Prostate Cancer UK suggests starting the exercises 4 to 6 weeks before the operation. You'll go into surgery already knowing how to find the muscles, which makes it easier to start again afterwards, and it may help you stop leaking sooner.

After the operation:

• Don't do the exercises while your catheter is still in. You'll usually have it for about a week to 10 days. Start as soon as it has been removed.
• Expect some leaking at first, especially when you stand up, cough or lift. For most men it improves over the weeks and months after surgery.
• Squeeze your pelvic floor just before you cough, sneeze, stand up or lift something. This habit can stop a lot of small leaks.
• Ask your hospital team or GP about a referral to a specialist physiotherapist or continence nurse. They can check you're doing the exercises correctly and adjust the routine for you.

Prostate Cancer UK has more detail on pelvic floor exercises and urinary problems after treatment, and you can call their specialist nurses for free.

Common mistakes

• Holding your breath. Breathe out gently as you squeeze.
• Pushing down instead of lifting. The feeling should be of drawing up and in, not bearing down.
• Squeezing your bottom or thighs. Keep them relaxed.
• Doing too many. Tired muscles don't squeeze well. A few good sets beat lots of weak ones.
• Stopping too soon. It takes weeks before you notice a change, and months for the full effect.

When to see your GP

See your GP if:

• there is blood in your urine
• it hurts to wee, or you need to go much more often than usual
• leaking starts suddenly or gets worse
• you've done the exercises daily for 3 months and nothing has changed

The NHS page on urinary incontinence covers other treatments if exercises alone aren't enough.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms that worry you, or they don't improve, speak to your GP or a pelvic health physiotherapist.