Can a simple exercise routine improve your sex life? You’re in the right place if that question has ever crossed your mind. We're taking a closer look at how Kegel and pelvic floor exercises can address erectile dysfunction in a surprisingly effective way.
We'll break down the science behind ED and explore just how vital strong pelvic floor muscles are for maintaining a healthy and satisfying sex life.
Whether you're curious about the connection between these exercises and ED or looking for practical tips to improve your sexual health, we've got you covered.
What is erectile dysfunction?
To start, let’s look at what erectile dysfunction is.
Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse.1 And it’s more common than you think, with nearly 1 in 3 men in the UK having dealt with it at some point in their lives.*
Although the definition of ED doesn't specify an exact duration of experiencing symptoms, some experts suggest that if the problem lasts for six months or longer, it may be considered ED.
ED is quite common in men aged 40 and above, with its occurrence rising as age and other health issues increase.2 Regardless, this condition can affect men of all ages and has various underlying causes.2 So, if you find yourself dealing with it, you're definitely not alone.
*Estimated from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2021 UK population data and Irrational quantitative survey 2021, where 3,445 (i.e. 34%) of 10,197 adult men qualified or identified as suffering from Erectile Dysfunction.
What is your pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located at the base of your pelvis.3 Think of them like a hammock stretching from your tailbone at the back to your pubic bone at the front. These muscles support your bladder, bowel, and in men, the prostate.3 Strong pelvic floor muscles can help you maintain your erections and control ejaculation.1 Here is a diagram to see exactly where these muscles are:
A side view of the male reproductive system
Why do Kegel exercises help erectile dysfunction?
So, why exactly do Kegel exercises help with erection difficulties?
Well, sometimes, we tend to take our pelvic floor muscles for granted. When we neglect them, they can become weaker and cause problems.3 It's all about toning a muscle called the pubococcygeus (PC), part of your pelvic floor.4
This muscle plays a crucial role in achieving and maintaining erections by improving blood flow to the penis and supporting erectile function.4 When you strengthen the PC muscle through regular Kegel exercises, you boost its ability to help you maintain firmer and longer-lasting erections because of the improved blood flow to your penis.
But here's the thing – it doesn't happen overnight. It typically takes about 4–6 weeks of consistent Kegel exercises before you start noticing a significant difference in your erections.4
Think of it like any other workout routine: consistency is key. The more you stick with it, the better the results you'll see. So, stay patient and keep at it – your pelvic floor muscles and your sex life will thank you!
Kegel exercises to help erectile dysfunction
Ready to get started with Kegel exercises? Here are the best exercises for erectile dysfunction, along with steps on how to do them:
1. Basic Kegel exercise
Performing this basic Kegel exercise will help you learn how to activate your pelvic floor muscles.5
- Identify the right muscles: The first step is to locate your pelvic floor muscles. For this, imagine trying to stop the flow of urine midstream. The muscles you use to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.5
- Get comfortable: Find a comfortable position, whether it's sitting, lying down, or standing.
- Contract the muscles: Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and hold for a count of five.
- Release: Relax the muscles completely for a count of three.
- Repeat: Aim for 10 to 20 repetitions, two or three times a day.
Don't worry if you can't complete a full set of 10 when you first start doing Kegels. That's totally normal! Just do what you can and gradually build up to 10 to 20 Kegels three times a day. Keep at it, and you'll get there in no time.5
2. Sitting pelvic floor activation
Sitting pelvic floor activation is one of the simplest and most effective Kegel exercises you can do. Here’s how:1
- Get comfortable: Sit down in a comfortable chair.
- Squeeze the muscles: Using only your pelvic floor muscles, squeeze as if you're trying to stop the urine flow. Hold this squeeze for five seconds, then relax.
- Repeat: Perform this squeeze-and-hold action eight to ten times. Aim for three to five sets of these repetitions.
3. Standing pelvic floor activation
- Stand tall: Stand straight with your arms by your sides and your feet hip-width apart.
- Engage the pelvic floor: Activate your pelvic floor muscles for three seconds, then relax them for another count of three.
- Focus on isolation: Make sure your stomach, buttocks, and leg muscles remain relaxed and aren't contracting.
Once you're comfortable doing Kegel exercises three times a day, you can start incorporating movements to enhance the routine.4
4. Floor laying on side squeezes
- Get into position: Lie down on your side on the floor.
- Use support: Place a pillow between your knees, ensuring it's big enough to separate your legs comfortably.
- Squeeze and hold: Contract your inner thigh muscles to squeeze your legs together, holding for five seconds.
- Release and repeat: Relax your muscles, then repeat the squeeze-and-hold action eight to ten times. Aim for three to five sets of repetitions.1
5. Floor laying on back squeezes
- Get into position: Begin by lying on your back with your hands flat on the floor and your knees bent comfortably, pointing upwards.
- Engage your pelvic floor: Contract your pelvic floor muscles, drawing them inward toward your body. Hold this contraction for five seconds, then release.
- Activate your anal muscles: Squeeze your anal muscles as if you're trying to prevent a bowel movement. Hold for five seconds, then release.
- Repeat and set goals: Alternate between steps two and three, completing each action eight to ten times. Aim for three to five sets of repetitions.1
Pelvic curl
Here's a classic move straight out of the Pilates playbook.1
- Get into position: Lie down with knees bent, feet flat, and arms by your sides.
- Keep your spine neutral: Ensure you start with a slight gap between your back and the floor.
- Engage your pelvic floor: Exhale and engage your pelvic floor. Lift your pelvis toward your belly button, pressing your lower back flat. Then, lift your buttocks off the floor, squeezing your glutes and maintaining shoulder support. Take three breaths while holding the position.
- Release: Slowly lower back down, one vertebra at a time.
- Repeat and set goals: Start with 3-4 repetitions and work up to 10.
Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which can significantly help manage erectile dysfunction. Remember, consistency is key, and it may take a few weeks to see noticeable improvements. Keep at it, and your efforts will pay off!
Your secret weapon against erectile dysfunction
And there you have it! Kegel exercises aren't just for strengthening your pelvic floor; they're also a secret weapon against erectile dysfunction (ED). You're boosting blood flow to the right places by giving those muscles a workout and supporting better, stronger erections. Sure, it might take a few weeks of dedication, but the payoff is worth it!
If you're looking for a little extra boost in the bedroom, consider teaming up your Kegels with Cialis Together. It could be like a one-two punch for ED. Cialis Together helps get the blood flowing where it needs to be, to help maintain an erection.
So, whether you're flying solo or with a partner, combining Kegels and Cialis Together could be the game-changer you've been waiting for.
Ready to take the next step? Get Cialis Together and start turning up the heat in the bedroom!
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References
1 “Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection to satisfactorily engage in sexual intercourse”
“Strengthening the muscles that surround and support the genital area can assist the penis in obtaining and maintaining an erection and address issues that cause premature ejaculation.”
“Sitting in a Chair Squeezes
Find a comfortable position sitting in a chair. Squeeze your penis with just its muscles as if you are trying to stop urine from coming out, hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat step two, eight to 10 times, and then do three to five sets.”
“Floor Lying on Your Side Squeezes
Lie on the floor and on your side. Place a pillow between your knees. Make sure the pillow is large enough to spread your legs apart. Squeeze your legs together and hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat step three, eight to 10 times, and do three to five sets.”
“Floor Lying on Your Back Squeezes
1. Start by lying on your back, hands flat on the floor, and knees comfortably bent and pointing upwards.
2. Try to draw your penis inwards towards your body and hold for five seconds, then release.
3. Now squeeze your anus muscles as if you are trying to stop a bowel movement and hold for five seconds, then release.
4. Repeat steps two and three, eight to 10 times, and do three to five sets.”
6. Pelvic curl
This exercise is common in Pilates. Lie down with the knees bent, the feet flat on the floor, and the arms by the sides. Keep the spine in a neutral position, with a small space between the middle of the back and the floor. Exhale and engage the pelvic floor muscles. Tilt the pelvis upward toward the belly button, while pressing the back flat against the floor. Slowly lift the buttocks and push the heels into the floor. Squeeze the buttocks while lifting it and the lower and middle back. The body’s weight should be resting on the shoulders. Take three breaths and squeeze the buttocks and pelvic floor muscles. Slowly lower the buttocks and back, vertebra by vertebra, to the floor. Repeat three to four times initially and build up to 10 repetitions.”
WebMD. ‘Best Kegel Exercises for Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Premature Ejaculation’. 2022. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/men/best-exercises-erectile-dysfunction-premature-ejaculation
2 Prevalence, Comorbidities, and Risk Factors of Erectile Dysfunction: Results from a Prospective Real-World Study in the United Kingdom
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9159135/
“The incidence and severity of ED increase with advancing age and the presence of underlying comorbidities, such as CVD and diabetes [5]. Previous epidemiological research has reported that among men with ED, approximately 40% have hypertension; 42% have hyperlipidemia; and 20% have diabetes [2]. Due to the close connection between cardiometabolic diseases and ED, current guidelines of the British Society for Sexual Medicine recommend that men initially presenting with ED should be thoroughly screened and treated, when appropriate, for cardiometabolic risk factors [6].”
“Yet nearly half of men with self-reported ED in this study were not currently using any pharmacotherapy for these conditions, which suggests unmet needs in the detection and management of the cardiometabolic and psychological conditions, potential causes of ED.”
“However, medication use, including certain classes of antihypertensives and antidepressants, can also potentially cause ED symptoms [21], which may at least partially explain the higher rates of medication use observed among men with self-reported ED, relative to men without ED, in this study.”
3 “The pelvic floor is a made up of layers of muscles, stretching like a hammock from your pubic bone to the bottom of your tailbone (see diagram below). It provides the floor to your pelvis.”
“Sometimes we can take our pelvic floor muscles for granted. If we neglect them, they can become weaker, causing problems.”
NHS. ‘Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men’. 2024. Available from: https://www.nth.nhs.uk/resources/pelvic-floor-exercises-for-men/
4 “Pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, target the muscles at the bottom of the pelvis – particularly one called the pubococcygeus. This loops from the pubic bone to the tailbone and supports the pelvic organs.
When this muscle weakens, it is unable to prevent blood from flowing out of the erect penis.
Performing pelvic floor exercises will strengthen and improve tone in the pubococcygeus. It can take 4–6 weeks before a person notices a difference in erections.”
“This exercise is simple but important. It teaches a person to activate their pelvic floor musclesTrusted Source.
Lie down with the knees bent, the feet flat on the floor, and the arms by the sides.
Exhale and squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for a count of three.
Inhale and release for a count of three.
Take time identifying the right group of muscles — those at the bottom of the pelvis. It can be easy to accidentally contract other muscles instead, particularly those of the stomach, buttocks, or legs.”
“3. Standing pelvic floor activation
Stand straight with the arms by the sides, and the feet hip-width apart.
Using the technique above, activate the pelvic floor muscles for a count of three, and release for a count of three.
Ensure that the stomach, buttocks, and leg muscles are not contracting.
Once a person is comfortable performing Kegel exercises three times a day, it can help to add exercises that involve more movement.
Medical News Today. “Do erectile dysfunction exercises help?”. 2024. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/exercises-for-erectile-dysfunction
5 “The best method for locating the muscles of the pelvic floor (the lower pelvis) is to stop your stream several times in the middle of urination. The muscles you clench to do this are the ones you need to exercise.
To perform a rep of Kegel exercises, squeeze those muscles, hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat this 10 to 20 times, two or three times a day. You may want to try this in different positions, including lying down with your knees up, sitting in a chair, and standing.”
“You probably won’t be able to finish a complete series of 10 Kegels when you first try. That’s fine. Do what you can, and eventually work up to 10 to 20 Kegels, three times a day.”
Healthline. ‘Exercises to Elminate Erectile Dysfunction’. 2023. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/exercises
MAT-XU-2404160 (v1.0) March 2025