Kegels lying down, sitting or standing: which is better?

Below: how to do a Kegel in each position, what to watch for in each, a table for moving from one to the next, and a short session that uses three of them. Haven't found the muscle yet? Start with our step-by-step guide to Kegel exercises for men.

Is it better to do Kegels sitting or standing?

Neither, in the sources we use. An NHS physiotherapy leaflet says pelvic floor exercises can be done lying, sitting or standing. It suggests sitting may be easier to start with, and moving to standing as your muscles get stronger.²

The best-known trial didn't pick one either. In the best-known UK trial, the home routine was 3 strong squeezes lying, sitting and standing, morning and evening, after coached sessions with a physiotherapist.¹ Its home sheet added light lifts while walking.

So think of the positions as steps rather than rivals. Each one has its own giveaway slip, and the sections below show you what it is.

Lying down

Yes, you can do Kegels lying down, and it's where GoBeast starts your first session.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and apart, the set-up from the trial's home sheet.¹
2. Rest one hand on your belly so you can feel whether it stays soft.
3. Squeeze up and in at about half effort, hold for 3 seconds, then let go fully and rest.

Watch for: your buttocks lifting you off the floor, or your belly pulling in under your hand.

Doing them in bed is fine. It's the same as the floor, only softer, though a very soft mattress can make the lift harder to feel. If your back prefers it, lying on your side with your knees bent works too.

Lying down is also a good place for the relax set at the end of a session, when you let the muscle go soft without pushing. Reverse Kegels for men has the steps.

Sitting

Sit tall on a firm chair with your feet flat and your knees apart. Tighten as if you were lifting your pelvic floor off the chair, but not your buttocks. That cue comes from the trial's home sheet.¹

The NHS leaflet suggests sitting may be the easier place to start.² If lying down hasn't clicked for you, try it here.

Watch for: slumping, and your buttocks pushing you up off the seat.

Nobody can see a seated Kegel, which makes it the one you can do at a desk or on a train. Kegels at your desk has a full 3-minute seated routine.

Standing

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, your knees soft and your weight even on both feet. Squeeze up and in.

Standing is the easiest position for the mirror check. You should be able to see the base of your penis move nearer to your abdomen and your testicles rise.¹ In the NHS leaflet, standing is the step up, for when your muscles get stronger.²

Watch for: locked knees, clenched buttocks, tipping your hips forward, and holding your breath.

Walking

Can you do Kegels while walking? Yes, as light lifts rather than long holds. The trial's home sheet suggested lifting your pelvic floor to about half of your maximum when walking.¹

Keep your stride normal and keep breathing. Try a few lifts on a short walk, letting each one go fully, once standing feels clean.

Watch for: holding your breath in time with your steps, or squeezing harder than half.

Moving from one position to the next

Clean means you kept breathing, your belly and buttocks stayed soft, and the muscle let go fully each time.

When you move up a step, shorten your holds again and build back up. Later on, if you want more of a challenge, change position before you add seconds. How long to hold a Kegel has a hold ladder for that.

You don't have to leave the earlier steps behind. Plenty of sessions can still start lying down.

A 3-position mini-session

About three and a half minutes. Try it once you can feel the squeeze lying down, and use about half your strongest squeeze the whole way through.

The free Kegel timer can count the squeezes and rests for you, in any position. For a full week-by-week routine, see the printable 4-week Kegel plan.

Which position for which moment

• In bed before you sleep: lying down.
• At a desk, on a train or in a waiting room: sitting.
• In a queue, or while you brush your teeth: standing.
• On the way to the shops: light lifts as you walk.

Tie each one to something you already do every day, and the position picks itself. If the same slip keeps showing up in one position, our list of 7 Kegel mistakes men make shows what to do about it.

When to stop

See a doctor before you start if you have new or changing urinary symptoms, like a weak stream, straining, peeing more often or at night, or new leaks.³ Had prostate or pelvic surgery or radiotherapy? Follow your care team's plan first. GoBeast isn't designed for recovery after surgery.⁴

Think your pelvic floor may be tight rather than weak? Read tight or hypertonic pelvic floor in men before you train.

How GoBeast helps

• Your first session starts on your back with your knees bent, with a guided first squeeze.
• A calm voice and haptic cues for every squeeze, hold and release, with the screen locked in the phone apps. The web app has the same voice cues and keeps the screen on.
• Ten Kegel levels that move with your sessions. Miss a few days and your level holds.
• A release at the end of every session, and a Pain button that stops the session.

Comparing apps first? See how the main Kegel apps for men compare.

Questions