The Hidden Muscle Behind Every Erection (Men Have a Pelvic Floor Too) with Dr. Rachel Gelman | Ep. 165 (Part 1)

About this episode

Dr. Rachel Gelman discusses the importance of the pelvic floor in men's sexual health and common misconceptions surrounding it.

In this episode, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Rachel Gelman to uncover the one part of the male body that almost no one talks about — the pelvic floor. From erection strength to ejaculation control and orgasm intensity, Rachel breaks down exactly how these muscles work in men and women alike, why most people are walking around with a pelvic floor that's too tense (not too weak), and why Kegels may be the most over-prescribed exercise in sexual health. We also get into male incontinence, what a pelvic floor internal exam actually looks like, how consent is handled in the clinical setting, and why trauma plays a bigger role in pelvic floor treatment than most people realize. This is Part 1 — and trust me, you don't want to miss Part 2. In this episode: 00:00 - Podcast Intro & Show Hook 00:30 - Welcome & Karen's Introduction 01:15 - Meet Dr. Rachel Gelman – Pelvic Floor PT 02:40 - Women Are Learning About Pelvic Floor PT — But What About Men? 03:45 - Half of Rachel's Patients Are Men 04:30 - The Pelvic Floor Is Gender Neutral 05:15 - Pregnancy & the Pelvic Floor — The Common Misconception 06:10 - How the Pelvic Floor Works: The Muscular Hammock…

People in this episode

Host: Karen Bigman

Guest: Dr. Rachel Gelman

Topics covered

• pelvic floor
• sexual health
• male incontinence
• Kegels
• erection strength
• orgasm intensity

Keywords

• pelvic floor
• erection
• ejaculation control
• Kegels
• male incontinence
• sexual function
• physical therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pelvic Floor PT

More episodes of Taboo to Truth: Life & Sex After 50

• I Tested 3 Clitoral Vibrators Designed for Menopausal Bodies — Here's What I Found | Ep. 180 · June 12, 2026 · 6 min
• The #1 Reason Your Relationship Isn't Working (It's Not What You Think) | EP. 179 · June 9, 2026 · 20 min
• Does Size Matter? What Women Actually Want (And What the Data Says) | Ep. 178 · June 5, 2026 · 12 min
• When Sex Dies in a Long-Term Relationship — And How to Bring It Back | Ep. 176 Part 2 · June 2, 2026 · 29 min
• Why Your Nervous System Is Secretly Ruining Your Sex Life (And What to Do About It) | Ep. 177 · May 29, 2026 · 9 min
• Why Your Partner Keeps Saying No to Sex — And What to Do About It | Ep. 176 (Part 1) · May 26, 2026 · 29 min