At The Coach, we always strive to provide our users with the latest and most valuable insights into health and well-being.
We sat down with Dr. Susie Gronski, one of the leading experts in physical therapy for male pelvic and sexual health, to discuss the most frequent questions we receive about Kegel exercises and pelvic floor health.
Q: What is the best exercise to get rid of PE?
Dr. Susie Gronski: There are three exercises you can explore for early or rapid ejaculation. One, body awareness exercises to identify your arousal triggers and recognize the levels of arousal throughout your erotic experience. Two, mindful, deliberate and gentle breathing to regulate and manage heightened sexual arousal levels.
Three, pelvic floor muscle coordination exercises where you slowly and rhythmically contract and relax the muscles that wrap around your penis. Begin by practicing these exercises in non-erotic situations and gradually progress by integrating varying levels of erotic and sexual stimuli from fantasy to masturbation and partnered experiences.
Q: I feel pain when doing Kegels, is it normal? what should I do?
Dr. Susie Gronski: Experiencing discomfort or pain during pelvic floor exercises is not normal. It can occur if these exercises are done excessively or too vigorously without allowing the body time to adapt to the increased activity and tissue demands. If you have discomfort while performing pelvic floor exercises, consider a break from your exercise routine to give your body a chance to rest and recover.
Reduce the intensity of your exercises like decreasing the number of repetitions or extending the rest time in between contractions. Instead of performing exercises at maximum muscular effort, aim for a contraction at around 50 to 75 percent of your pelvic floor muscular effort. And lastly, increase the time intervals between sets by integrating your pelvic floor exercises into daily activities like bending, walking, or climbing stairs throughout the day.
Q: How do I know if my pelvic floor muscles are weak?
Dr. Susie Gronski: Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to a range of symptoms, like involuntarily leaking urine with activities such as lifting, bending, laughing, coughing, sneezing, or exercising. Leaking urine when a sudden and intense urge to urinate strikes. Dribbling urine immediately after you’ve finished urinating.
Difficulty controlling stool or gas. And because the pelvic floor muscles play a role in supporting sexual function, weakness may contribute to issues like erectile difficulty.
Q: How quickly will I see first results from Kegels?
Dr. Susie Gronski: Once you begin pelvic floor training for early ejaculation, you can expect changes during the first two weeks, mostly involving improved communication between your brain, pelvic nerves, and the pelvic floor muscles. Typically, it may take around 8 weeks to observe muscle strength development. In general, the timeline for these changes varies, influenced by both physical and psychological factors contributing to ejaculatory unpredictability.
Q: What is the best position for doing Kegels?
While there are no strict rules when it comes to the best positions for pelvic floor exercises, it’s advisable to incorporate them into your daily activities, targeting the specific areas where you want to improve. For example, if you’re dealing with urinary leakage during lifting, integrate pelvic floor exercises into your lifting routine, varying the weight and repetitions. If your goal is to enhance pelvic floor muscle strength and coordination concerning sexual function, the same principles apply.
Attempt to perform these exercises in sexual positions you commonly engage in or during the arousal phase of your sexual experience. Avoid making the exercises too mechanical, as this can hinder your ability to stay present and engaged in your sexual pleasure, disrupting your erotic flow.
The Coach team expresses great appreciation to Dr. Susie Gronski for her assistance in preparing responses to these questions. You can learn more about the work of Dr. Susie Gronski here:
Instagram: @dr.susieg and @lainie_ot
Website: drsusieg.com
Youtube: Dr. Susie Gronski & Team
