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Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, News, Fitness
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, News, Fitness
Men should be doing this one simple exercise to improve their sex lives, says a doctor.
Sex has many health benefits, including easing symptoms of depression. To do this, we need to be having sex a certain amount of times a week.
According to experts, this number is once or twice a week. Meanwhile, men specifically could see a lowered risk in heart disease if they have sex around 103 times a year, which works out to be approximately twice a week.
But this may be a difficult feat to achieve for some men as a result of erectile dysfunction; something which affects around 18 million men in the US, per the American Journal of Medicine.
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Some men also suffer with premature ejaculation, another thing that can negatively impact a person's sex life.
But fear not folks, there's a simple exercise you can be doing that can help both these things.
Dr Luke Pratsides, a GP and Head of Medical at digital health provider, Numan, says men should be doing Kegels, a type of pelvic floor exercise.
"The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located between the tailbone and pelvis, designed to support the bowel, bladder, and beyond," said Dr Luke to UNILAD.
Going on to explain how exercising these muscles can aid your sex life, the health expert went on: "For men, these muscles play a key role in sexual function - particularly in controlling ejaculation and maintaining erections. Strengthening your pelvic floor can give you a feeling of greater control during sex, delaying ejaculations and helping to manage conditions like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction."
Dr Luke went on to note that 'other major factors involved in sexual performance' include good cardiovascular health, testosterone levels, and nerve function.
"It’s very important to keep your pelvic floor health optimal regardless," he added.
"Kegels are the most well-known pelvic floor exercises," said Dr Luke. "The goal of these exercises is to contract the same muscles you’d use to stop urinating mid flow. Once you’ve identified them, squeeze and hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat this for three sets of 10 repetitions every day."
He went on to assure: "You won’t feel any major difference after a few reps but, over time, consistent practice can help strengthen the pelvic floor and improve your control in the bedroom."
Dr Luke urged men to steer clear of doing Kegels while peeing as it can interfere with normal bladder function.