They have long a new mother's best friend. But new research suggests pelvic floor exercises can also benefit men battling premature ejaculation.
An Italian study found that performing the exercises for 12 weeks could help those 'with a lifelong problem'.
Up to 40 per cent of men suffer from premature ejaculation - defined by the International Society of Sexual Medicine as ejaculation 'within a minute' - at some point in their lives.
Hope: Up to 40 per cent of men suffer from premature ejaculation at some point - but pelvic floor exercises could help, say researchers
In most men, the cause is simply being unable to control the ejaculatory response, explains Wendy Hurn, urology nurse consultant at Bristol Royal Infirmary.
‘Some may have more sensitive nerve endings, however stress or pressure can also make the problem worse.
'They cause the body to go into fight or flight mode, causing it to think "let’s get this over with".’
Pelvic floor exercises are often used to help male incontinence, especially after surgery such as operations for prostate cancer.
HOW CAN MEN PERFORM PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES
Working these muscles has been shown to help with premature ejaculation.
To identify the muscles sit relaxed and tighten the muscle around the back passage, as if trying to control wind.
You should be able to feel the muscle move.
With the correct technique you should feel a dip at the base of the penis, while the scrotum moves up slightly.
To perform the exercises: sit, stand or lie with your knees slightly apart.
Slowly tighten and pull up the pelvic floor muscles as hard as you can for as long as you can. Rest for four seconds then repeat.
Build up until you can do 10 slow contractions at a time, holding them for 10 seconds each.
Results are only likely to be seen after daily practice for three months.
(For more information: www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org; 01536 533255)
Previously, they had been tested in temporary impotence, but this is the first time they have been tested over a longer term in men with lifelong problems.
A group of 40 men aged 19 to 46 suffering from the condition were trained to exercise their pelvic floor muscles over a 12 week period.
They also measured their time-to-orgasm over this period.
At the start of the trial, the average ejaculation time was 31.7 seconds.
But by the end of the 12 weeks of exercises, this had increased to 146.2 seconds (two minutes and 26 seconds) - more than a four-fold increase.
In total, 33 of the 40 men improved within 12 weeks.
Only five men showed no significant improvement. Two had dropped out of the trial early, after showing an improvement.
Thirteen of the 33 patients continued the trial up to the six-month mark, and they confirmed that they maintained their extended ejaculation time.
Lead study author Dr Antonio Pastore, of the Sapienza University of Rome, said: 'This is a small study, so the effects need to be verified in a bigger trial. Nevertheless, the results are very positive.
'The rehabilitation exercises are easy to perform, with no reported adverse effects. Previously the men in the trial had tried a variety of treatments, including creams, behavioural therapy, SSRIs (antidepressants) and psychological treatments -- with little success.
'However, we found that 33 of the 40 men in our trial improved their ejaculation time within 12 weeks.
'We also found that the fact that the men were able to improve their sex-lives through their own efforts helped their self-confidence.
Duration: Men who performed the exercises for 12 weeks found their average length of intercourse went from 31 seconds to more than two minutes
'This technique seems to offer significant benefits over many existing techniques, including cost-savings and lack of side effects.'
The research was presented at the European Congress of Urology in Stockholm
Speaking for the European Association of Urology, Professor Carlo Bettocchi said: 'This is an interesting study. Premature ejaculation is a real problem for many men, and any way which we can find to help this condition is welcome.
'This method particularly welcome because it is the sufferers themselves who overcome the problem through their own efforts -- which will have additional psychological benefits.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2605211/How-pelvic-floor-exercises-help-MEN-Those-suffering-premature-ejaculation-benefit-12-weeks.html#ixzz2zBb7PTy8
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
