What pelvic floor exercises improve comfort and pleasure during anal sex?

1. Strengthen the core pelvic squeeze — Kegels for control and endurance

Kegel exercises, performed as a conscious squeeze-and-lift of the pelvic floor, are the standard way to build strength and endurance in the muscles that support the anus and rectum; strengthening can reduce accidental leakage and improve control during sex, which some clinicians link to greater sexual confidence and sensation ^{[1] [6] [7]}. Practical guidance—short holds and multiple reps while seated or lying down, progressing to longer or functional holds—is described across clinical and consumer sources as the basic protocol for pelvic-floor training ^{[1] [8]}.

2. Learn to lengthen and release — reverse Kegels and diaphragmatic breathing

Equally important for anal comfort is learning to relax and descend the pelvic floor: reverse Kegels (a deliberate bearing-down or lengthening of those muscles) and diaphragmatic (belly) breathing encourage the pelvic floor to drop and release tension, which can reduce pain or tightness that makes anal penetration uncomfortable ^{[2] [3] [9]}. Multiple pelvic-health sources warn that a pelvic floor that’s “too tight” or overactive can cause painful intercourse and reduced ability to accommodate penetration, so relaxation work is a clinical priority ^{[4] [5]}.

3. Use integration exercises — pelvic tilts, hip thrusts and functional movement

Exercises that combine pelvic-floor activation with core, hip and glute engagement—pelvic tilts, hip thrusts and controlled bridges—help translate isolated Kegel strength into usable control during movement and sexual positions, supporting both comfort and responsiveness ^{[2] [10] [11]}. These movements teach coordination so the pelvic floor can contract when desired and release during penetration, and many pelvic therapy resources recommend practicing contractions through ranges of motion for real-world benefit ^{[11] [10]}.

4. Stretch and loosen the surrounding tissues — hip and pelvic stretches

Because tight hips, glutes and lower back contribute to pelvic-floor hypertonicity, targeted stretches (child’s pose variants, figure-four, supported forward bends that “slacken” the pelvic floor) and mobility work are commonly recommended to reduce guarding and improve comfort with penetration ^{[12] [3]}. Pelvic therapists emphasize positions that let the pelvic floor drop so the muscles can learn a relaxed baseline, which is often a prerequisite for comfortable anal sex ^{[3] [12]}.

5. When simple exercises aren’t enough — seek biofeedback or a pelvic-floor PT

If identifying or isolating the correct muscles is difficult, or if pain persists, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, or guided pelvic-floor physical therapy can locate overactive fibers and retrain coordination; major medical resources recommend these options when self-guided exercises are ineffective or symptoms (pain, leakage) continue ^{[13] [3]}. Clinical assessment also distinguishes whether symptoms stem from weakness, hypertonicity, or other pelvic conditions—important because the wrong self-prescribed program can worsen discomfort ^{[5] [13]}.

6. Safety, tools and limits of the evidence

Practice caution with devices: vaginal Kegel balls are intended for vaginal insertion and should not be used anally; anal-specific toys exist for sexual practice but device guidance varies by vendor and clinicians urge professional consultation for therapy tools ^[14]. Finally, while many reputable clinics and pelvic specialists report sexual benefits from pelvic-floor training, high-quality evidence directly linking specific exercises to increased anal-sex pleasure is limited and often extrapolated from broader pelvic-health outcomes ^{[6] [1]}.