Kegel Exercise is a Waste of Time After 60 | Do This Instead

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Look, kegles aren't inherently bad, but after 60, the game changes. Erections rely on blood flow, hormones, and nerves. Kaggels only fix muscle strength. If your issue is blocked arteries or low testosterone, doing kaggels is like changing the tires on a car with a dead battery. It's a waste of time. Here is what you need to fix instead. My name is Dr. Julia Rhodess.

[00:00:25]I'm a certified men's sex therapist with over a decade of clinical experience working exclusively with male sexual health and intimate relationships. Over the course of my career, I have sat with thousands of men and thousands of couples navigating exactly the kind of quiet distance that builds when two people who love each other stop knowing how to reach each other in the bedroom.

[00:00:49]What I do on this channel is simple. I bring the conversations that aren't happening in consulting rooms, in bedrooms, at kitchen tables, into the open because the men I work with don't lack love for their partners. They lack information. And today's video is about giving you the information that changes everything. This is not a video about blame. It is not a video about what you have been doing wrong. It is a video about what becomes possible when you finally understand what she needs and how to give it to her. Before we go any further, if you are a man over 60 who wants to show up better for his partner, build deeper intimacy, and understand the science behind what women actually need after 50. Please subscribe to this channel right now. Every week I bring you honest, researchbacked, clinically grounded conversations about men's sexual health and relationships. No embarrassment, no oversimplification, just real information for real men in real relationships. Hit subscribe and let's get into this. Before we get into the science, I want to be straight with you. I'm not here to tear down every piece of advice you've ever received.

[00:02:07]Keele exercises have helped millions of men. There are legitimate studies backing them up. Doctors recommend them.

[00:02:15]And for a certain group of men, they genuinely work. But here is the part nobody talks about. Those studies were largely conducted on younger men, men in their 30s and 40s, men whose erectile dysfunction had a very specific cause, a weak pelvic floor. When you're 35 and you're struggling, the odds are actually decent that your pelvic floor is a significant part of the problem. Pelvic floor weakness can restrict blood flow through the paranal arteries, reduce the firmness of erections, and contribute to premature ejaculation.

[00:02:51]In that context, keull make total sense.

[00:02:55]But you're not 35, and after 60, the biology of erectile dysfunction looks completely different. The causes shift.

[00:03:03]the primary drivers change. And if you're still treating a 60-year-old problem with a 35year-old solution, you're going to keep getting frustrated results. So, in this video, we're going to do three things. First, we're going to look at what the actual research says about erectile dysfunction after 60 and why the causes are fundamentally different from what most men assume.

[00:03:29]Second, we're going to break down exactly why Kee goals become less and less effective as a primary solution the older you get. And third, and most importantly, we're going to walk through what the science actually recommends instead, the things that target the real causes of ED in men over 60. Stay with me because what you're about to hear may completely change how you approach this.

[00:03:55]The numbers. How common is this and what's really going on?

[00:04:01]Let's start with the numbers because they're more striking than most men realize. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, one of the most comprehensive long-term studies ever conducted on male sexual health, erectile dysfunction affects approximately 40% of men at age 40. By age 70, that number climbs to nearly 70%.

[00:04:24]Read that again. Seven out of every 10 men over 70 are dealing with some degree of erectile dysfunction. And yet, the conversation around this topic is still largely dominated by supplements, devices, and pelvic floor exercises designed with much younger men in mind.

[00:04:42]There is a massive gap between what older men actually need and what the mainstream health conversation is offering them. You are not broken. You are not alone. And you are not out of options. But you do need information that's actually designed for where you are right now. Not information recycled from studies that didn't include you.

[00:05:05]Here's what those studies tell us about why ED after 60 is biologically different. The four real causes of ED after 60. When researchers look at erectile dysfunction in men over 60, four primary causes come up again and again. And the critical thing to understand is this. Keull don't address any of the top four. Let's go through each one. Cause number one, vascular decline. An erection is at its core a vascular event. It's a blood flow event.

[00:05:42]When arousal happens, the brain sends a signal. The arteries in the penis dilate, blood rushes in, and pressure creates firmness. After 60, those arteries have been through six decades of use. In many men, there's been gradual buildup of arterial plaque, a process called atherosclerosis.

[00:06:01]The arteries become narrower and less flexible. They don't dilate as efficiently as they once did. Less blood gets in and the result is weaker erections or no erection at all. This is so significant that the Princeton Consensus panel, a group of leading cardiovascular and sexual health experts, has directly linked erectile dysfunction after 60 to cardiovascular health first and foremost. In fact, here is a statistic that should get your full attention. Men with erectile dysfunction are twice as likely to experience a cardiac event within 5 years compared to men without ED. That's not a coincidence. ED after 60 is often your cardiovascular system waving a red flag.

[00:06:48]Keull strengthen your pelvic floor. They do absolutely nothing for your arteries.

[00:06:54]Cause number two, dropping testosterone.

[00:06:58]According to the Endocrine Society, one in three men over the age of 60 has clinically low testosterone.

[00:07:05]Testosterone doesn't just drive your sex drive. It plays a critical role in maintaining the health of penile tissue, supporting nitric oxide production, which is the molecule responsible for arterial dilation, and sustaining nerve sensitivity in the genitals. When testosterone drops, libido drops, arousal becomes harder to achieve. The physiological cascade that leads to an erection becomes sluggish, and no amount of pelvic floor squeezing addresses any of that. Low testosterone is a hormonal problem. It requires a hormonal solution. Whether that's lifestyle interventions that naturally support testosterone production or working with a physician to explore appropriate treatment options. Now, before I proceed, I want to pause for just a moment. Because if what I've shared so far is already starting to connect dots for you. If you're beginning to understand why certain experiences in the bedroom have played out the way they have, I want you to know that there is a complete guide available that takes everything I teach on this channel and builds it into a single structured road map. The complete guide pieces the entire puzzle of men's sexual health together. From fixing erection and performance issues at the foundation to the specific techniques that make a man genuinely exceptional in bed after 60 to how to bring your partner to the same level of desire and engagement as you so that the connection between you is firing on every cylinder, not just some of them. It is not a collection of tips.

[00:08:43]It is a handheld beginning to end journey through everything a man over 60 needs to know to perform with confidence, connect, with depth, and enjoy his sex life the way he deserves to. I made a full video walking through exactly what the program covers and who it is for. The link is pinned in the comment section and sitting in the video description right now. Go and watch it after this video. I think it is going to land with you in a significant way. Now let's continue. Cause number three, nerve sensitivity loss. The nervous system plays an essential role in sexual function. Arousal, erection, and orgasm all depend on nerve signals firing correctly between the brain, spinal cord, and genital tissue. As men age, nerve sensitivity naturally declines.

[00:09:40]This can be compounded by conditions common in older men. Diabetes, for instance, is one of the leading causes of neuropathy or nerve damage. Poor circulation also starves nerve endings of the oxygen they need to function properly. When nerve sensitivity is reduced, the signals that trigger and maintain an erection become weaker and less reliable. Keull train muscles. They have no mechanism to restore nerve sensitivity.

[00:10:10]Cause number four, endothelial dysfunction.

[00:10:14]This one is less talked about, but it might be the most important of all. The endothelium is the thin inner lining of your blood vessels. When it's healthy, it produces a molecule called nitric oxide, which signals the smooth muscle in arterial walls to relax and allow more blood through. This nitric oxide production is essential for an erection to occur. After 60, especially in men with poor diet, inactivity, high blood pressure, or metabolic issues, the endothelium begins to malfunction. It stops producing adequate nitric oxide.

[00:10:52]The arteries don't dilate properly. And without proper dilation, you can have all the pelvic floor strength in the world and still not achieve a reliable erection. The Harvard Health Blog and Mayo Clinic both acknowledge this reality that kegles while beneficial in isolation are not standalone solutions for men dealing with age related vascular and endothelial decline. So let's count those up. Vascular decline, hormonal drop, nerve sensitivity loss, endothelial dysfunction, four dominant causes. Kaggels address zero of them.

[00:11:30]That is the argument. And now let's talk about what actually works. Why the most cited Kaggel study is being misread. Now you may have heard about a 2005 study published in the British Journal of General Practice conducted by Dory and colleagues. This is the study that everyone and I mean everyone cites when they want to make the case for kaggels.

[00:11:53]And here's what's frustrating. The study is real and the results were real. Men in that study who did pelvic floor exercises did experience improvements in erectile function. But here's what almost no one tells you when they cite that study. The men in that study were not primarily 60 and older. The study addressed erectile dysfunction where pelvic floor weakness was a significant contributing factor. And when you look at the mechanisms how pelvic floor training improved erections, it worked through improved compression of the deep penile veins and better engagement of the issio cavernosis and bulbo cavernosis muscles. Those mechanisms matter, but they matter most when vascular health is still relatively intact, when testosterone levels are reasonable, and when pelvic floor weakness is actually a primary driver of the problem. When the primary drivers are arterial plaque, hormonal deficiency, and endothelial dysfunction, which is the reality for most men over 60, pelvic floor exercises address a shrinking percentage of the overall problem. Dr. Andrew Seagull, a respected urologist and author of the book Male Pelvic Fitness, has himself acknowledged the limits of pelvic floor training when used in isolation. The muscle component is real, but it's one piece of a much larger puzzle. And when you're 62, 67, 71 years old, and you've been doing kaggels faithfully for 6 months with minimal results, the reason isn't that you're doing them wrong. The reason is likely that kaggels were never designed to fix what's actually broken. what the American Urological Association actually says.

[00:13:46]Let's talk about what the American Urological Association says because their guidelines are about as authoritative as it gets on this topic.

[00:13:56]The AUA's guidelines on erectile dysfunction management make something very clear. For men with ED driven by cardiovascular and metabolic factors, which is the dominant profile for men over 60, aerobic exercise outperforms isolated pelvic floor training. Let that land for a moment. The governing body of urology in the United States is not saying kaggels are worthless. They're saying that when the root cause is cardiovascular and vascular, the primary intervention needs to be cardiovascular.

[00:14:30]And the data supports this dramatically.

[00:14:34]A review published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that aerobic exercise alone reduced erectile dysfunction symptoms by 40 to 60% in clinical trials. 40 to 60%.

[00:14:48]From walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, standard cardiovascular exercise that you can do without a gym membership, without medication, without equipment. That number should completely reframe how you're thinking about this.

[00:15:03]What to do instead? The four real solutions.

[00:15:08]So, if kaggles aren't the primary answer after 60, what is? Let's go through the four interventions that are actually targeting the root causes and that have real clinical evidence behind them.

[00:15:20]Solution number one, aerobic exercise.

[00:15:23]If there is one single intervention that has the strongest and most consistent evidence for improving erectile function in men over 60, it is cardiovascular exercise. Not pelvic floor exercise.

[00:15:38]Cardiovascular exercise. Here's why.

[00:15:42]Aerobic exercise directly addresses vascular decline. When you exercise aerobically, your heart pumps more blood. Your arteries are challenged to dilate and contract repeatedly and over time their flexibility and capacity improve. Endothelial function improves.

[00:16:00]Nitric oxide production increases. Blood flow to every organ in your body, including the penis, gets better. The Journal of Sexual Medicine data we mentioned, the 40 to 60% improvement in ED symptoms, came from men doing moderate aerobic exercise, 40 minutes a session, four times a week. That's it.

[00:16:22]No special equipment, no medication, no supplements, just consistent cardiovascular movement. What kind of exercise works? brisk walking, cycling, including stationary cycling, swimming, light jogging, any sustained activity that gets your heart rate into a moderate zone for 30 to 45 minutes. The key word is consistency.

[00:16:46]Four times a week, every week, not a sprint campaign for 2 weeks and then abandonment. This needs to become part of your life. Solution number two, diet and nitric oxide support. Remember endothelial dysfunction, the failure of your blood vessel lining to produce adequate nitric oxide. Diet is one of the most powerful tools you have to address that. There is strong research supporting the relationship between a Mediterranean style diet and improved erectile function. This means high intake of vegetables, particularly leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and kale, which are naturally high in dietary nitrates that the body converts to nitric oxide. It means olive oil oversaturated fats. It means regular consumption of foods like beets, pomegranate, and citrus fruits that support vascular health. It also means significantly reducing processed foods, refined sugars, and excessive alcohol, all of which directly damage endothelial tissue and impair nitric oxide production. There is also evidence supporting the role of Larginine and Lcitrilline, amino acids found in foods like watermelon, nuts, and legumes in supporting nitric oxide synthesis. These are not miracle supplements, but as part of a broader dietary shift, they contribute meaningfully to vascular health. The bottom line on diet, your arteries are only as healthy as what you feed them. You can do all the pelvic floor exercises in the world, but if you're eating in ways that damage your endothelium, you're fighting a losing battle. Solution number three, sleep and testosterone.

[00:18:36]This one is dramatically underestimated and most men over 60 have no idea about it. Testosterone production primarily occurs during deep sleep, specifically during the REM cycles of the night. When sleep quality deteriorates, which is extremely common after 60 with more frequent waking, lighter sleep, and shorter total sleep times, testosterone production drops with it. Studies have shown that even one week of sleeping only 5 hours per night can reduce testosterone levels in young healthy men by 10 to 15%.

[00:19:15]In men over 60 who already have reduced testosterone production. Poor sleep can compound hormonal decline significantly.

[00:19:24]Improving sleep quality is therefore a genuine therapeutic intervention for low testosterone and by extension for erectile function. This means maintaining consistent sleep and wake times. It means addressing sleep apnea which is extremely prevalent in men over 60 and which dramatically disrupts sleep architecture and oxygen delivery. It means limiting alcohol, which fragments sleep quality even when it seems to help you fall asleep. And it means creating a sleeping environment that is dark, cool, and quiet. If you snore heavily or your partner says you stop breathing during sleep, please get evaluated for sleep apnea. Treating it has been shown to improve both testosterone levels and erectile function.

[00:20:14]Solution number four, stress reduction and psychological factors.

[00:20:19]This is the one men are most reluctant to talk about and it may be one of the most impactful.

[00:20:25]Chronic stress elevates cortisol, your primary stress hormone, and cortisol has a direct suppressive effect on testosterone. Beyond that, chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, your fightor-flight state, which actively inhibits the parasympathetic response needed for an erection. You cannot be in fight orflight mode and have a reliable erection. The biology doesn't allow it. After 60, many men are dealing with significant psychological stressors. retirement transitions, health anxieties, relationship dynamics, grief, a sense of lost purpose. These are real. They're not weakness, but they do have physiological consequences for sexual function. Interventions like mindfulness practice, reduce screen exposure before bed, regular time in nature, social connection, and where appropriate, working with a therapist.

[00:21:23]These aren't soft suggestions. They're interventions with documented effects on cortisol, testosterone, and autonomic nervous system balance. The mind and the body are not separate systems. Sexual health after 60 is whole body health.

[00:21:40]Where Keeullles actually belong. Now, I want to be very clear about something because I don't want you to walk away from this video thinking that Keeles are useless. That would be overcorrecting in the other direction. Here is where Keeles legitimately belong in the picture for men over 60. First, if you are dealing with urinary incontinents, leaking when you cough, laugh, or sneeze, pelvic floor training is genuinely helpful and has strong clinical evidence behind it. That is a muscular and structural problem that Keeles directly address. Second, if you are recovering from prostate surgery, specifically radical prostatctomy, pelvic floor training is a standard and well validated part of the rehabilitation process. In that specific context, they are important. Third, once you've addressed the primary causes, once you've improved your cardiovascular fitness, cleaned up your diet, optimized your sleep, managed stress, and your vascular and hormonal health is in better shape, adding pelvic floor training on top of that foundation can provide incremental benefits. It can support stronger orgasms, better ejaculatory control, and marginally improved erection firmness. but it is a supplement to a strong foundation. It is not the foundation itself. If you're a man over 60 and your ED is primarily vascular and hormonal, and statistically it probably is, Keull as your primary intervention is like taking ibuprofen for a broken bone. The ibuprofen isn't dangerous. It might help a little with comfort, but it isn't treating what's actually wrong. That is the honest message. the conversation with your doctor. Before I close, I want to address something directly. Everything I've talked about in this video is grounded in clinical research and expert guidance, but your situation is individual. Your cardiovascular history, your hormone levels, your medications, your current fitness. All of these matter. I want you to take what you've learned today and bring it into a conversation with your doctor. Ask specifically about your testosterone levels. Ask about your cardiovascular risk profile. Ask whether sleep apnea is a possibility. And if your doctor dismisses erectile dysfunction as simply part of aging, push back. Bring up the American Neurological Association's aerobic exercise data. Bring up the Princeton Consensus Panel's cardiovascular framework. You deserve a physician who takes this seriously because this isn't vanity. This is a marker of your overall health. As we discussed, ED after 60 is often the first signal of cardiovascular disease.

[00:24:33]Taking it seriously may genuinely save your life. Now, I want to take a moment here because what I have shared with you today is one crucial piece of a much larger picture. Understanding what your partner needs is foundational. But for many men over 60, there is more going on than simply needing a new approach to intimacy. There are questions about erection and performance that haven't been answered. There are techniques and approaches that nobody has ever walked you through specifically for men in this stage of life. There is the challenge of aligning your desire levels with your partners in a way that feels natural and sustainable rather than forced or negotiated. These are not small questions and they deserve complete answers. That is exactly why I put together something that I believe is the most comprehensive resource I have ever created for men over 60 who want to reclaim their full sexual confidence and their intimate relationship. I made a dedicated video about it and I want you to watch it. It pieces the entire puzzle together. From fixing erection and performance issues at the root level to the specific techniques that make a man genuinely exceptional in bed after 60 to the exact approach that brings your partner's desire into alignment with yours. Every piece connected, every step guided from beginning to end. like someone who has walked this road with hundreds of men taking you by the hand and showing you every turn. The link to that video is pinned in the comment section right now. It is also in the video description below. I want you to go and watch it after this video. Not because what we covered today isn't valuable. It is, but because what is waiting for you in that video takes everything you have learned here and gives you the complete road map, the whole picture, nothing left out. Go and find it. It is pinned in the comments and it is in the description below. What you find there could genuinely change the trajectory of your intimate life and your relationship. Let's bring this all together. After 60, erectile dysfunction is primarily a vascular problem, a hormonal problem, a neurological problem, and a lifestyle problem. Keull address muscle strength. One factor that becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of the overall picture the older you get. The interventions that actually match the root causes are aerobic exercise which improves blood flow and endothelial function directly, diet that supports nitric oxide production and arterial health, sleep optimization to protect and restore testosterone, and stress management to keep cortisol in check and the nervous system in the right state for sexual function. The most important line I can leave you with today. Keull strengthen one muscle. But after 60, your erection problem isn't a muscle problem. It's a blood flow problem. And no amount of squeezing fixes your arteries. Fix the foundation.

[00:27:50]Build the lifestyle. And use Keull where they actually belong, as a supplement, not a solution. If this video gave you a different perspective or something you hadn't considered before, do me a favor and hit the like button. It genuinely helps other men over 60 find this channel and get information that's actually designed for them. If you haven't subscribed yet, now is a good time. We put out content specifically for men's sexual health after 60, grounded in real research, real biology, and honest conversation. and leave a comment below. Tell me, have you tried Keigull? What results have you seen? I read every comment and I want to hear from you. I'm Dr. Julia Rhodess. I'll see you in the next