Will pelvic floor exercises help improve my sex life?

Squeeze to please. 

If I’m being real with myself, anytime I work out, it’s so I can have better sex. Sure, health is obviously important, but when I’m in the middle of a particularly gruelling set of leg lifts, the thing that gets me through isn’t thinking about wellness. It’s thinking ‘I’m going to look so hot after this’. 

Maybe I’m shallow, but that’s beside the point. But if you’re like me and you’re also motivated by the idea of having better sex, there’s one exercise that’s more important than all the rest (and you don’t need a ClassPass membership to do it). 

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While strengthing your pelvic floor may not make you look any different from the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. According to Sydney-based gynaecologist and urogynaecologist Dr Rebecca Young, it’s true what they say about kegels.

Gaining better control of your pelvic floor muscles doesn’t just help with tightening and increasing sensitivity, but it also helps you relax and open up. 

“Performing these exercises may increase sexual sensation, particularly if the vagina feels a bit lax,” Dr Young shares. She says they can also help prevent urine leakage, which some women experience during sex (and is different from squirting). 

“It’s important to be aware of being able to both strengthen and relax the pelvic floor muscles, as usually during sex the muscles are in a relaxed state and if the pelvic floor muscles are too tight, that can also cause issues such as discomfort or pain.” 

Throughout life, these muscles can be weakened by things like childbirth and heavy lifting, so Dr Young tells me we need to keep them strong just like we could any other group of muscles. 

“I think most women know about them as a concept but often it’s not something we prioritise due to the busyness of day-to-day life. It’s definitely important for women to be aware them of in order to optimise their pelvic floor health.” 

Despite what you might think, kegels aren’t just for the girlies. Dr Young explains there’s evidence that people with penises can also improve their sexual function with a pelvic floor workout (pegels? Just kidding, they’re still called kegels). Having a strong pelvic floor can prevent both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, as well as make erections appear stronger. 

No matter what equipment you’re rocking, kegels may very well be the key to increased sexual pleasure. But how do you actually do one?

To do a kegel exercise, you need to clench your pelvic floor muscles. However, figuring out which exact muscles they are can take a little getting used to.

“The muscles of the butt and stomach should remain relaxed and one way to think about it is that you are squeezing the muscles down below as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine when doing a wee,” she says. 

“The squeeze should be held for around six to eight seconds, with some rest. This should be repeated with around 10 repetitions, two to three times a day.” If you’re having trouble figuring out if you’re doing it right, she says it’s best to check in with a pelvic floor physiotherapist or a doctor.

As well as kegels, Dr Young highlights the importance of general exercise for pelvic floor health as well. 

“Yoga, pilates and other exercise (as well as meditation) can bring awareness and put us in touch with our bodies more generally. General exercise and avoidance of weight gain is important as this reduces the pressure placed on the pelvic floor day to day,” she says.

“Pelvic floor exercises can be done at the start or end of a daily exercise routine, and another time when patients tell me they remember to do them is when they’re sitting at the traffic lights!”

Once you get the hang of the movement, it’s an easy exercise to incorporate into your daily life because no one knows you’re doing them. You can do kegels while waiting in line at the shop, at the movies or even reading (and writing) a Fashion Journal article… So what’s stopping you? Go forth and clench!

For more on pelvic floor exercises, head here.