How To Manage Early Ejaculation: Exercises And More

You may have heard that taking care of yourself with regular exercise can support a healthy sex life, but did you know there are exercises you can do that specifically target your sexual performance? Here are three of the most popular techniques you can try out at home for better sexual function, with no medication or equipment needed.

1. Kegels (Pelvic Floor Exercises)

Kegel exercises (named after American gynecologist Arnold Kegel) can help both men and women strengthen the pelvic floor — this has a number of benefits, including preventing and treating incontinence [1], and possibly improving sexual satisfaction. [2] For men, doing Kegel exercises often can also lead to better control of ejaculation, which helps you last longer during sex. Here’s how to get started.

How to do pelvic floor exercises:

Identify your pelvic floor muscles: The best way to find these muscles is by imagining you’re trying to stop the flow of urine midstream. The muscles you use for this are the ones you’ll work on during Kegels.

Contract and relax: Once you’ve found the muscles, slowly contract them for up to 10 seconds, then relax for 4 seconds. Repeat this up to 10 times, three times a day. [3]

Stay consistent: Your pelvic floor muscles are just like other muscles, in that you need to exercise them often to help them stay strong. Over time, as you repeat your Kegel exercises, you may notice improved control and delayed ejaculation during sex. [4]

2. The Squeeze Technique

The squeeze technique is another manual way to last longer in bed. It's also sometimes called the "pause-squeeze" technique. This method involves squeezing the head of the penis when you feel like you’re close to climax — the pressure of this reduces arousal and helps to stop ejaculation happening.

How to use the squeeze technique:

Pause: As soon as you feel like you might be about to ejaculate, take a quick break from any sexual activity.

Squeeze: Gently squeeze the area where the head of your penis meets the shaft.

Resume: After holding the squeeze for 10-20 seconds, wait for the urge to ejaculate to pass, then resume sexual activity. You can repeat this process as needed. [5]

Remember: Sexual activity needs to be paused for the squeeze technique to work, so it can help to talk about it with your partner before you try it.

3. The Start-Stop Technique

The start-stop technique is a behavioral method used to help take control over ejaculation. It involves stopping sexual intercourse just before reaching climax, waiting until you feel less aroused, then starting again.

How to perform the start-stop technique:

Start: During sex or masturbation, engage in sexual activity until you’re close to ejaculation.

Stop: Pause all stimulation and let the feeling of arousal fade.

Restart: When you’re ready, you can continue with stimulation. You can repeat this multiple times until you decide to ejaculate.

Over time, the start-stop technique could help you work out when you’re due to climax, and get better control over when you ejaculate. Long-term results are inconclusive, but one study reported that 45 to 65 percent of men noticed short-term improvements. [6]

Alternatives to premature ejaculation (PE) exercises

Not seeing the results you want from PE exercises? There are alternative treatments available. Some men prefer the use of topical anesthetics, counseling, or even medication to help manage premature ejaculation. You can find an extended list here.

Premature ejaculation medications: What to Know

When exercises or behavioral techniques aren’t enough to improve your performance, oral medication treatments are an option. The main two categories found to help treat premature ejaculation are antidepressants and erectile dysfunction drugs. Here’s how they work.

1. SSRIs

Although SSRIs are mainly prescribed for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, they've also been found to help treat premature ejaculation. One example is sertraline [7], which helps delay ejaculation by increasing your serotonin levels. In fact, clinical studies have shown that it could help you last up to 7x longer. [8] To learn more, start here.

2. Erectile dysfunction treatments

Sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Although it’s primarily used to enhance erections, some men have reported that it helps them last longer in bed by potentially reducing premature ejaculation. [9] Sildenafil works by increasing blood flow to the penis, which may improve sexual performance and help with ejaculation control and erectile function. [10] It’s important to note that if you experience erectile dysfunction as well as premature ejaculation, your erectile dysfunction should be treated first.

Ready to improve your sexual satisfaction? Get support from the health care professionals at ZipHealth, and discover the treatment options that are right for you. Start a consultation for a premature ejaculation treatment today.

h2References

1. Medical Conditions Patient Information Leaflets (PILS) Pelvic Floor Exercises [Internet]. NHS Borders. NHS; Available from: https://www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/media/64657/pelvic_floor_exercises.pdf
2. Cohen D, Gonzalez J, Goldstein I. The Role of Pelvic Floor Muscles in Male Sexual Dysfunction and Pelvic Pain. Sexual Medicine Reviews. 2016 Jan;4(1):53–62.
3. Pelvic floor exercises for male patients Adult Bladder and Bowel Service [Internet]. [cited 2024 Oct 23]. Available from: https://www.wwl.nhs.uk/media/.leaflets/5fe44b400ef143.93311823.pdf
4. Pastore AL, Palleschi G, Fuschi A, Maggioni C, Rago R, Zucchi A, et al. Pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation for patients with lifelong premature ejaculation: a novel therapeutic approach. Therapeutic Advances in Urology [Internet]. 2014 Feb 20;6(3):83–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003840/
5. NHS Choices. Ejaculation problems [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Sep 17]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ejaculation-problems/#:~:text=In%20the%20squeeze%20technique%2C%20you
6. Mohee A, Eardley I. Medical therapy for premature ejaculation. Therapeutic Advances in Urology [Internet]. 2011 Oct 1;3(5):211–22. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3199591/
7. Primary Care guidance for prescribing SSRIs for premature ejaculation Background [Internet]. [cited 2024 Sep 30]. Available from: https://medicinesmanagement.doncasterccg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Primary-Care-guidance-for-premature-ejaculationV1.0-Sept-2022-review-Sept-2025.pdf
8. McMahon CG. Treatment of premature ejaculation with sertraline hydrochloride. International journal of impotence research [Internet]. 1998;10(3):181–4; discussion 185. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9788108
9. NHS Choices. Ejaculation problems [Internet]. 2024. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ejaculation-problems/#:~:text=In%20the%20squeeze%20technique%2C%20you
10. McMahon CG, Stuckey BGA, Andersen M, Purvis K, Koppiker N, Haughie S, et al. Efficacy of Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) in Men with Premature Ejaculation. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2005 May;2(3):368–75.