Amp Up Your Sex Life: 11 Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men & Women

Whether you have a penis or a vagina, the health of our pelvic floor––also known as the pubococcygeus (PC) muscles––is essential for healthy sex lives. Like any muscle training, these pelvic floor exercises for men and women, done consistently, can go a long way.

You might be wondering how long does it take to strengthen the pelvic floor? Well, after a couple of practices, you are likely to see some enhanced pelvic happiness, such as vagina tightening and penis strengthening. However, most people need a few months of consistent practice to receive full benefits.

Your PC muscles support the organs that lie on it. Weak muscles can have pretty detrimental effects, including incontinence when you cough or sneeze, passing wind when you bend, heaviness in the vagina, and overall reduced sensation in the genitals.

On the flip side, overworking the PC muscles can have just as bad an impact by weakening the tissue and reducing any of the benefits you worked so hard on! So treat this as a sensitive muscle that needs gradual strengthening and plenty of rest and relaxation between poses and between sessions.

The Full Benefits of Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men & Women (When Done Properly)

More Pleasure

Oh yeah, you heard us right. Strong PC muscles will add even more pleasurable sensations to each and every sexual encounter you have, whether that’s during masturbation or sex with a lover.

These exercises send blood flow to the genitals and awaken nerve endings that may have gone to sleep due to hormonal fluctuations, diet, or medication. It also signals to the pleasure receptors in your brain – giving you all the yummy feelings.

The more you do these exercises, the more you will be able to bring mindful attention to your genitals and be present during sex. Ultimately, enhancing your pleasure potential!

More Lubrication

Due to the enhanced blood flow in the area, the glands that produce lubrication are more activated to release more liquid. This is great for people who might suffer from vaginal dryness (for those of you out there, just remember, lube is your best friend too).

More Orgasms

By doing vagina tightening and penis strengthening exercises, you will find your orgasms also become stronger. This is because when you climax, the body is experiencing a contraction and relaxation of these particular muscles. Thus, the stronger they are, the deeper and more intense the orgasm can feel.

With enough time and practice, along with a conscious breathing routine, you may come to find you can experience multiple orgasms. That’s right, multiple orgasms aren’t limited to the vulva-owners out there. These pelvic floor exercises for men will also help you to ride the multiple waves of penis pleasure.

More Control

For anyone with a penis struggling with premature ejaculation, or wanting to avoid erectile dysfunction, pelvic floor exercises for men can offer more control over your body, stronger erections, and improved prostate health.

These muscles are also in charge of your continence. As you get older these muscles naturally get weaker and urine and bowel incontinence can be avoided with these simple exercises.

How To Locate The PC Muscles

When locating your PC muscles, you can place a finger inside the vagina, or over the perineum (just in between the genital and anus), and squeeze as if you were holding in your pee. Alternatively, you can test this muscle when actually peeing, holding, and releasing––that’s your focal point!

Be aware to not hold in your urine too often, or do your exercises while on the loo, as this can cause Urinary Tract Infections.

The Importance of Relaxing Your Pelvic Floor

So now you’ve located them, it is vital that you know relaxing is just as important contracting!

In between contractions, as you breathe in notice your belly expanding and gently pushing down on your pelvic floor (as if you were peeing) to release the tension.

Without releasing the muscles, your body doesn’t strengthen, and the area can become too tight, causing complications such as hypertonic pelvic floor later on.

How Long Does It Take to Strengthen the Pelvic Floor?

So, how long does it take to strengthen the pelvic floor per session? You must contract for at least three seconds and release for at least three seconds. Consistency is key, but this needs to be gradually built up. Start with two or three times a week and build up to five times a week.

If you don’t want to do all of the following pelvic floor exercises for men and women, pick a few of your favorites and set a timer for three minutes, building up to 10-minute practices after a few weeks.

11 Pelvic Floor Exercises For Men & Women (& Anyone, With Any Genitals)

The following exercises have been taken from our YouTube video with Sensuality Coach, Rosie Reese who teaches you how to tone the intricate muscles of your glutes, pelvis, and the lower abdominal muscles.

For vagina tightening, these exercises can be done with or without a yoni egg or kegel balls!

All you will need is a comfortable place on your floor, ideally on a rug or exercise mat, and a cushion handy for comfort.

Just as in Vinyasa yoga, connect the movements to your breath. This will focus your attention on your genitals, make the movements flow easier, and send plenty of oxygen and heat to the pelvic floor.

1. Hip Spirals

To start, sit crossed legged. Make it comfortable for your pelvis. If you choose to sit on a cushion if you want to avoid straining your knees. This is a great grounding move for getting the focus out of your head and shifting the energy into the base of your body.

Sitting upright, hands on your knees, spiral your belly button in one direction as if you are stirring a pot. Notice your base connecting with the ground. Do 10 of these spirals, and reverse the direction.

2. Bridge Thrust

Come to lie on your back, feet on the mat, knees pointing at the ceiling. With your arms by your side, push into your heels lifting your pelvis upwards, and then bring your body back to the ground. Breathe in to lift, and breathe out to release 10 times.

Bonus exercise: Add an extra 10 mini pulsing thrusts.

3. Leg Up

This is an advanced version of Bridge Thrust. While you’re in the same position, lift one leg up, bending at the knee and keeping it parallel to the ceiling. Repeat the same motion of lifting your hips. Do this 10 times and change legs.

4. Open the Doors

Staying on your back, lift your knees with your shins parallel to the ceiling. Open your legs to the sides as far as they can go. Rest there, breathe in, and exhale as you squeeze them together. Repeat this 10 times.

5. Ceiling Flex

This move is similar to Open the Doors, just with your legs straight up. Now straighten your legs and lift them from the side to the ceiling. Keep your feet flexed, and activate your PC muscles to help you out! Repeat 10 times.

6. Clamshell

Turn to lie on your side, knees bent. Open up your top leg as if your knees are a clamshell opening wide. Your pelvic floor muscles are the pearl, so show them off. Try this 10 times.

Bonus exercise: Shift your shins further forward and open your legs and feet, making a bigger clamshell opening.

7. Cat-Cow

This classic cat and cow position is useful for building heat and energy in your pelvic floor. On all fours, round your spine, head down, tailbone down, back lifted, into an angry cat shape. On an inhale pull your chest forward, lift your bum and your head slowly, into a happy cow shape. Contracting your pelvic floor on the exhale, releasing on the inhale.

8. Diagonal Extension

While on all fours in a neutral position, lift your belly button, tuck in your ribs and lift one arm and the opposite leg (so your left arm and your right leg), hold for 10 and release. Switch sides and repeat 10 times.

9. Spinal Flexes

This is like a cat-cow but on your knees. Sit upright and open your chest out, chin up. Then round your body, curving your spine, chin down. Move the spine back and forth, imagine energy radiating up and down your spine from your pelvic floor to your head.

10. Donkey Kicks

Get on all fours. Spread the fingers wide to set up your foundation. Keeping your knee bent, extend one leg up, foot to the sky, and draw the knee into the chest. Repeat on the other side. Do 10 of these.

11. Hip Lifts

Sit on your heels, if comfortable. Inhale and lift yourself up, away from your feet. Exhale lower it down. Repeat 10 times.

3 Relaxing Pelvic Floor Stretches For Between & After Poses

1. Tail Wag

While on all fours, wag your tail like an excited puppy. Wiggle your hips left and right, making sure to relax your pelvic floor muscles.

2. Windshield Wipers

Lie on your back, feet to the floor. Simply allow your knees to fall to the left and then to the right, while simultaneously “pushing down” (as if peeing) to relax and release your pelvic floor.

3. Knee Circles

While you’re still on your back, hug the knees in and roll them around in circles. This will help to spread the energy through the body, while relaxing and massaging the sacrum.

When it comes to your pelvic floor health, be sure to practice little and often to reap the full benefits. Perhaps you could send this to a lover and practice together. You can even make it a challenge and compare notes when you next have sex.

Don’t forget, it’s not all about sexual pleasure, these exercises offer lifelong health rewards too! If you are looking to try these out with a yoni egg, check out our Yoni Egg Course where we have in-depth information and follow-along video tutorials too.

 

NB: Not all penis-owners are men, and not all vulva-owners are women. Anyone with a penis or vagina can enjoy these pelvic floor exercises.