The pubococcygeus muscle, PC muscle for short, is a sling of muscles supporting the pelvic floor, circling its way around your genitals and tail bone in a figure of eight-shape.
It doesn't matter whether you have a female body or a male body; every body has a PC muscle. This muscle contracts involuntarily when you orgasm, but learning to consciously flex your PC muscle will greatly enhance your sexual pleasure.
A strong pelvic floor is great for sex
The PC muscle is not exactly an erogenous zone, but strengthening and exercising your pelvic floor outside of the bedroom can have great effects inside it. Deliberately flexing your PC muscle during sex enhances sexual pleasure by intensifying sensations, increasing blood flow to your genitals, and as a result, orgasms will be stronger and more powerful.
PC muscle control is the basis of all multiple orgasm-techniques, so if this is something you fancy, it's time to get exercising - especially considering that some lucky bunnies with particularly well-toned pelvic floors are able to bring on orgasms just by rhythmically squeezing and releasing their PC muscle! #JEALOUS
For female bodies: Rhythmically squeezing and releasing your pelvic floor during sexual play encourages the natural flow of vaginal juices, and the actual movement of the PC muscle stimulates the internal clitoris.
During penetrative sex, a person with a well-toned PC muscle can massage the fingers or penis of their partner to mind-blowing effect. We call this "penis-practice" (if it involves a penis, obvs); squeezing and releasing around the penis until one or both of you orgasm.
A well-toned pelvic floor has other health benefits for women, like keeping stress incontinence at bay. Whilst leaking pee is annoying at best of times and downright awful at worst, the good news is that doing your squeezes regularly can really help dry the drips.
For male bodies: Stronger erections (strong enough to hang a towel off) and more control over ejaculation. This means more intense orgasms for you (bonus!) and most likely for your lovers too.
Before you can exercise your PC muscle, you need to locate it
The easiest way to locate it, is by halting your pee mid-stream. Avoid tensing other muscles like your thighs, back or stomach - practice isolating the PC muscle a few times and you'll soon get the hang of it.
If you want to be absolutely sure, try sliding a lubed-up finger up your bum whilst squeezing your PC muscle, and you will feel the contraction around your finger. Voila!
How to exercise your PC muscle
PC muscle exercise is also known as 'kegel exercise' or 'doing kegels.'
Kegels can be done at any time, at any place. Travelling to and from work; during the school run; whilst doing the ironing or our favourite; at home in front of the telly.
If you find yourself with a coupe of minutes spare, put them to good PC muscle-practice (be aware you may pull faces as you concentrate).
There is no essential kit for PC exercising, but it can be both useful and pleasurable to have something inside to squeeze against. For vulva-owners, love balls worn inside the vagina are the simplest products for this. For prostate-owners, a butt plug would be the tool of choice.
Risk Management: Never put love balls up the bum. They are not safe for anal use and will likely get sucked up by the butt. If this happens, you'll need to go to A&E. So, you know, don't do it.
Four-step PC muscle exercise program
- Contract and relax your PC muscle 25 times, twice per day.
- Once you can easily contract and relax for the count of 25, double the reps to 50. Practice twice per day.
- Once you've mastered that (go you!), go back to doing 2 x 25 reps, but this time, hold each squeeze for the count of 3.
- Work back up to 50 reps, two times per day.
PC muscle flexing & breathing
For kegels to be efficient, you need to practice regularly - and by 'regularly,' we mean daily. Your aim is to improve the number of repetitions, and for how long you can hold each squeeze. Try to breathe in time with your flexes; inhale as you squeeze and exhale as you relax.
Re-learning how to orgasm
The time you'll really enjoy the fruits of your labour is during sex - practice your pelvic floor squeezes during play and we promise, you'll never look back!
Another tip is to pay attention to your breathing during sex, especially if you struggle to climax. Women in particular, are prone to holding their breath during sex, which means your body can't let go and surrender to an orgasm. Deep breathing in time with pelvic floor flexing may well help you over that last hurdle. Practice on your own, and then invite a partner to enjoy your new, improved pelvic floor.
It's common for women who have had a long break from sex to find that orgasms with a new partner are hard to come by. This can be because their PC muscle has had little or no exercise in the intervening years, making orgasm through penetration much more difficult to achieve. If this is you, we recommend strengthening your PC muscle with exercise, as well as locating your G-spot as this magic combo can help you find your orgasm again... Enjoy!