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Bladder Training: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Helps Bladder training is a behavioral technique designed to help individuals regain better control over their bladder. It involves gradually increasing the time between bathroom visits, following a set schedule rather than rushing to the toilet whenever the urge arises. Over time, this approach helps retrain the bladder to hold more urine and reduce sudden, frequent urges. The reason bladder training is important is that many people with overactive bladder or incontinence tend to urinate more often than necessary, which weakens the bladder’s ability to stretch and store urine. This creates a cycle of urgency and leakage that can be frustrating and disruptive to daily life. Bladder training works to break this cycle by teaching the bladder to wait longer between trips. The benefits of bladder training are significant. With consistency and patience, people often experience fewer leaks, reduced nighttime trips to the bathroom, and greater confidence in social and work settings. It is a non-invasive, drug-free method that empowers individuals to manage bladder symptoms naturally and improve their overall quality of life. Who Can Benefit from Bladder TrainingBladder training is especially helpful for people who experience frequent urges to urinate, mild to moderate urinary incontinence, or an overactive bladder. It is often recommended for older adults, women after childbirth or menopause, and men who have minor bladder control issues. Since it is a non-invasive and low-risk method, many healthcare providers suggest trying bladder training before considering medication or surgery. Who May Not Be Suitable for Bladder TrainingBladder training may not be the best option for individuals with certain medical conditions that affect bladder function, such as severe incontinence, urinary retention, neurological disorders (like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis), or those recovering from recent pelvic or bladder surgery. In these cases, other treatments or a combination of approaches may be more effective. It’s always important to consult a healthcare professional to determine if bladder training is the right strategy. How to Do Bladder Training Bladder training requires consistency and patience, but it can be very effective when followed carefully. The process usually includes the following steps: Keep a Bladder DiaryStart by recording when you go to the bathroom, how much urine you pass, and when leaks happen. This helps you and your healthcare provider understand your current bladder habits. Set a Bathroom ScheduleBased on your diary, begin by visiting the toilet at regular intervals (for example, every 1–2 hours), even if you don’t feel the urge. Gradually Increase the IntervalOnce you can manage your set schedule without accidents, try extending the time by 15 minutes. Over weeks, work toward a goal of urinating every 3–4 hours. Use Delay TechniquesIf you feel a sudden urge before the scheduled time, practice strategies such as: Taking slow, deep breaths. Sitting down and relaxing your pelvic muscles. Distracting yourself with another activity.These methods help the urge pass until the scheduled time. Practice Pelvic Floor ExercisesStrengthening the pelvic floor muscles (often called Kegel exercises) can improve your ability to hold urine and support bladder training success. Be Consistent and PatientProgress may take several weeks. It’s normal to experience setbacks, but persistence is key. Many people notice improvement within 6–12 weeks of regular practice. Tips for Success with Bladder Training Stay Consistent: Follow your schedule as closely as possible. Consistency helps your bladder adjust more quickly. Watch Your Fluids: Drink enough water to stay hydrated, but avoid excessive fluids. Cutting back suddenly can irritate the bladder. Limit Triggers: Reduce drinks that can worsen urgency, such as coffee, tea, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. Use Reminders: Set alarms or phone reminders to keep track of bathroom breaks until the routine becomes natural. Celebrate Progress: Even small improvements, like waiting an extra 10 minutes, show that your bladder is getting stronger. Seek Support: Talk to a healthcare provider if you’re struggling. Sometimes combining bladder training with other treatments—like pelvic floor therapy—works best. Be Patient with Yourself: Retraining takes time. Don’t be discouraged by occasional leaks—these are part of the learning process.  

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Pelvic Muscle Exercises, also known as Kegels or Kegel Exercises, are one of the best ways for men to improve and maintain bowel and bladder functions. And they aren’t just for women! Kegels can have a tremendous impact on incontinence – especially after prostate surgery – as well as the potential to enhance sexual performance for men. Sometimes the muscles that control bladder function are compromised from certain surgeries, prostate problems, or even overactive bladder in men. Kegels can help restore this muscle function. What Muscles Do Men Use For Kegels?  There are three basic muscles that come in to play when thinking about a kegel. The bulbocavernosus muscle (BC muscle), the pubococcygeus muscle (PC muscle), and the iliococcygeus muscle (IC muscle). Each of these muscles have a specific role in the body: BC Muscles Squeezing semen or urine out of the urethra. Squeezing more blood into the end of the penis. PC Muscles Also plays a role in urination and bowel movements. Forms a large part of the pelvic floor, supporting lower organs. Contracts during orgasm. IC Muscles Like the PC muscle, it forms part of the strength of the pelvic floor. Pulls the anus back up after a bowel movement. When performing Kegels, the BC is the major muscle being used, while PC and IC have a less direct role. How To Do Kegel Exercises - A Guide For Men Like any exercise, it can be difficult at first to know that you are performing Kegels properly. But with a daily commitment, it becomes instinctive. Here are a few tips: Which muscles? If you can stop your urination flow mid-stream, you have identified your pelvic floor muscles. That’s the most difficult part of the exercise. Build up to your routine. Performing with an empty bladder, your first goal should be to tighten your pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds. Then relax them for 5 seconds. Try to do 5 reps on your first day. As you gain confidence from your new routine, aim for for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. Watch outs. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. Also, avoid holding your breath. Breathe freely during the exercises to keep from stressing the rest of your body. Repeat 3 times per day. Aim for at least 3 sets of 10 repetitions per day. Give yourself encouragement. These exercises will feel foreign in the beginning. But the longer you stay with this, the better your bladder health will become. As a bonus, Kegels have been reported to increase sexual pleasure as well. To give your pelvic floor a full workout, there are two types of exercises you should perform. Short Contraction. The first exercise is called a short contraction, and it works the fast twitch muscles that quickly shut off the flow of urine to prevent leakage. The muscles are quickly tightened, lifted up, and then released. You should contract as you exhale, then continue to breathe normally as you do the exercises. Long Contraction. The second exercise works on the supportive strength of the muscles and is referred to as a long contraction. The slow twitch muscles are gradually tightened, lifted up, and held for several seconds. As first, it may be difficult to hold the contraction for more than 1 or 2 seconds. Ultimately, the goal is to hold the contraction for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds between each long contraction to avoid taxing the muscles. A solid exercise plan would be to perform 3 sets of 10 short and 10 long contractions twice per day. Remember:  quality is king here. Doing the exercises right trumps doing a bunch of them incorrectly. You should see improvements in 3 to 6 months. Signs Of Improvement Don’t be discouraged if you are not able to control your bladder as soon as you would like, but rather look for these signs as proof that your pelvic floor muscle exercises are working and that you are on your way to better bladder health: Longer time between bathroom visits Fewer “accidents” Ability to hold the contractions longer, or to do more repetitions Drier underwear, without the feeling of always being wet Men who have difficulty performing pelvic floor muscle exercises on their own may find biofeedback therapy helpful. With professional instruction from a nurse specialist or physical therapist, many men witness significant improvement in pelvic floor strength. It is crucial to remember that incontinence and pelvic floor symptoms almost always have solutions and shouldn’t be shrugged off as ‘normal’. Find time each day to squeeze it into your routine This article is republished  from the National Association for Continence (NAFC). We are sharing this article to provide valuable information to our readers. For more resources and expert insights, please visit NAFC’s official website.