Many men can also suffer from weakness in their pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor muscles are a supportive sling of muscles that stretch from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front, and in men, they support the bladder and bowel. The pelvic floor muscles also play an important role in bowel and bladder control and maintaining an erection.
Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor can include:
- Leakage of urine
- Sudden and urgent need to pass urine
- Leakage to stool from the rectum
- Not being able to control wind
- Erectile dysfunction
Pelvic floor muscles can be weakened by:
- Heavy lifting
- Being overweight
- Long term cough
- Prostate surgery
- Stroke or spinal injury
- Constipation – straining to empty the bowels
Things you can do to help maintain a strong pelvic floor
Maintain a healthy weight
Avoid constipation – this can be done by eating foods that contain fibre and drinking enough fluids. For more information on constipation visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/constipation/
Drink plenty of fluids – reduce caffeine intake as these drinks can irritate the bladder, do not restrict fluid intake as this can make your symptoms worse as your urine will become more concentrated.
Avoid heavy lifting when you can, if you need to lift something that is heavy then share the load.
Why should I do pelvic floor exercises?
Pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen the muscles and help improve bowel and bladder control which can improve or stop any leakage.
How can I find my pelvic floor muscles?
To find your pelvic floor, imagine you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind at the same time trying to stop passing urine – you may feel a dip at the base of your penis.
How to do pelvic floor exercises
Please visit for a full guide to pelvic floor exercises for men: https://www.bladderandbowel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BBC030_Pelvic-Floor-Men.pdf
Pelvic floor exercises should be done regularly! Do not expect instant results it takes time; it could be several weeks before you see signs of improvement.
If you have any of the following:
- Poor stream of urine
- Blood in urine
- Dribbling after finishing urination
- A sudden need to go to the toilet more than usual during nighttime hours
- Any unusual discharge from the penis
*Please seek professional medical advice from your local GP or another trained medical practitioner*