Reverse Kegels

 

As COVID-19, Delta Variant, rages, it's a good thing to remind people of the "long-haul" effects of the virus. For guys, that includes ED.

Yep. The virus can knock your dick in the dirt in a real hurry and it can last a long, long time. Turns out, those pelvic muscles - the ones that support your boners - most guys don't think about are important.

Faithful Reader Jean shared an article from the Washington Post on the topic. (You'll need a subscription to read.)

"...experts say they have seen an influx of patients during the pandemic with new or worsening pelvic floor problems related to working from home and heightened levels of stress and anxiety. “The combination of stress and then just sitting and not getting up to go to do those different activities throughout your workday definitely seem to have contributed to people’s symptoms,” said Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a pelvic floor physical therapist at Greater Boston Urology."

Luckily, there are things one can do to help recover the boner ability. While my immediate thought was Kegels.

Turns out, nope. I was wrong. Because the anxiety - or, perhaps, from too much sitting, working from home - the pelvic floor muscles become tight and can shorten. That issue can cause ED. So, we need to learn to relax those muscles.

"To relax the muscles, experts suggest diaphragmatic breathing exercises, stretching and what are known as “reverse kegels,” which require pushing down through the pelvic floor and lengthening the muscles."

It seems this has become a problem for many people Because of the pandemic. Thankfully, we have resources right at our fingertips.

“The need for pelvic [physical therapy] has kind of exploded in the last year,” said Jeffrey-Thomas, who started posting informative videos about pelvic health on TikTok during the pandemic, many of which have gone viral."

The thing to bear in mind: Take care of your body.

Your whole body.