It has been suggested that exercise for prostatitis can have a positive impact on men's health - is this true?Indeed, gymnastics has long been used in medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including prostatitis.Naturally, physical activity is not useful in all cases of prostatitis - there are forms of the disease in which treatment with exercise is strictly contraindicated.But the benefits of prescribing therapeutic exercises for men with prostatitis cannot be canceled.Physical therapy is a simple, economical, affordable and effective treatment method.
About prostatitis
Before treating prostatitis with exercise, you need to clearly understand the characteristics of this disease.Possessing the necessary information will allow you to effectively treat the disease with exercise, as well as avoid using physical therapy (physical therapy) in potentially harmful cases.
Prostate
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate (prostate gland).This organ plays an important role in men's sexual life, synthesizing the hormone "dihydrotestosterone", creating attraction for the weaker sex and the erection ability of the penis.The prostate secretes a secretion that, when mixed with semen, makes it liquid and capable of passing through the urethra.This secret also affects sperm, making them mobile, strong and viable.
The prostate is located below the bladder, attached to the ureters.Secretions secreted by this organ enter the urethra through the catheters.When the prostate becomes inflamed, its tissues stretch and compress the ureters from both sides - this weakens the patency of the urethra.Problems urinating is the most characteristic sign of prostatitis.To this must be added the symptoms of severe pain in the pelvic area and impotence.
Types of prostatitis
Prostatitis can occur due to obstruction in the pelvic area and penetration of infectious agents into prostate tissue.A more rare cause of inflammation is the onset of neoplastic processes, both benign (prostate adenoma) and malignant (prostate cancer).Thus, depending on the cause of inflammation, prostatitis is divided into the following types:
- stagnation;
- infectious;
- hyperplasia.
Cause of the disease
Prostatitis is a disease that men can hardly avoid in life.The disease is an age-related disease - mainly affecting middle-aged and elderly men, but recently young people have also begun to suffer from it more and more.Why is that?
The current era is the era of a sedentary lifestyle.This fact is remarkable considering the strong motivation shown by modern times - people work multiple jobs, trying to complete dozens of different tasks in one day.But when you dig deeper into what's happening, it becomes clear: of the three jobs, two are freelance jobs, done on home computers;You don't have to walk if you have a car;Food can be ordered online and delivered to your home.Therefore, men, although they can be active in any way, are still sedentary.
Lack of physical activity causes poor blood circulation in the body.Like any other hydrodynamic system, the circulatory system requires dynamic circulation.Let us explain by analogy with the operation of a mechanical wristwatch with a wind-up function.If the meter is in a static position, the winding will not work - only under conditions of dynamic impact.And the circulatory system only works properly when a person moves.
The fixed posture of a freelancer, driver or office worker is a sitting position.Our bodies are adapted to sitting;The gluteal muscles help a person in this, they are able to regulate the pressure on the circulatory system of the pelvis for a long time.But sitting for long periods of time causes muscle fatigue, causing long-term compression syndrome - a pathological phenomenon that is detrimental to men's health.The heavier a man, the worse the shock absorption function of the buttocks - obese men are more susceptible to prostatitis than thin men.
Another problem is bad habits.Statistics show that the average office worker smokes half a pack of cigarettes and drinks 2-4 cups of coffee a day, and in the evening likes to drink beer and play computer games.Coffee and beer are very harmful drinks for the prostate;In addition to smoking and sitting for long periods of time, we have a high risk of prostatitis.
To summarize the above, we will name three main reasons leading to the appearance of prostatitis in young men of modern times:
- physical inactivity;
- sitting for a long time;
- bad habits.
Important!Treating prostatitis with exercise is the solution for many men who prefer a sedentary lifestyle.The ability to cure illness by taking a short break from using computers at home is something that is suitable for modern people.
Therapeutic exercises in the treatment of prostatitis
Physiotherapy for prostatitis has been used for a long time and successfully in many different therapeutic cultural traditions - Greek (gymnastics), Chinese (kung fu), Indian (yoga), Anglo-Saxon (aerobics, gymnastics, handball).Exercise to treat prostatitis gives good results;it is ideal for treating prostatitis at home, making it an excellent therapy for men.
About the effects of therapeutic exercises on the male body
Physical activity helps blood circulate throughout the body, nourishing tissues with the substances they need.A man who performs special exercises against prostatitis can ensure that congestion in the pelvic area stops, dead cells are washed away by the blood stream, prostate tissue is regenerated and inflammation disappears.In addition, exercise will strengthen the body.Thus, exercise not only cures prostatitis but also helps improve men's health.However, exercise therapy cannot be used unconditionally in all cases of the disease.Let's look at the list of contraindications to the use of physical exercises for men with prostate disease.
General contraindications for exercise:
- Gymnastics cannot cure prostatitis if it is in the acute stage.Prostate tissue in the acute stage of inflammation becomes vulnerable to dynamic influences and can be damaged.Paroxysms cause severe pain, and exercise makes the pain even more intense, making exercise a torture.
- You cannot do sports activities that involve sitting - this is a harmful exercise for prostatitis;Exercises for this type of prostatitis should be avoided.This can be cycling, some poses to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
- Men with high blood pressure or heart problems should not do exercises for prostatitis;People who have just undergone surgery have an inguinal hernia.
- Some experts believe that gymnastics is harmful for infectious and cancerous forms of prostatitis.This opinion is still controversial, with no clear recommendations.
Before treating prostatitis with gymnastics, it is important to consult a therapist.The treating physician must be aware of the patient's decisions - this is the person competent to evaluate the possible benefits and harms of exercise therapy in each specific case.
Exercises for prostatitis
Regular exercise for prostatitis can seriously alleviate the patient's condition, provided he does everything correctly.And to leave no doubt, let's see what exercises you can do.
Classic calisthenics
Traditional therapeutic exercises for prostatitis have been around since ancient Greece.The founder of this type of gymnastics was the doctor Herodicus, a very extraordinary man: seriously ill with a “disease affecting the respiratory system”, in Greece he promoted a set of exercises that could make any patient stand.He was a very famous healer - the philosopher Plato wrote about him with pleasure.Herodicus gymnastics is used to treat many diseases, including prostatitis.The discipline founded by a physician became the prototype of modern exercise therapy.The exercises of Herodicus have come down to us through paintings depicted on amphorae and frescoes.Among them are those recommended by modern andrologists for the treatment of prostatitis:
- Standing hip lift.The person is in a standing position, keeping his back straight, alternately raising his thighs parallel to the floor.The position of the back must not change during the task.
- Lying hip lift.The patient takes a supine position, brings the hips together and raises them perpendicular to the axis of the floor.When performing a task, your back should rest on the floor without leaving it.
- Squat.The patient raises both arms forward parallel to the floor and squats so that the sacrum nearly touches the floor.Hands maintain the same position when performing tasks.You can't lift your heels off the ground!
- Lift your butt off the floor.The patient places his elbows and feet on the floor, bends upward, lifting his buttocks off the ground.
- Pull while lying on your back.A man in a lying position raises his legs 45 degrees above the floor and begins to cross them, alternately changing the position of each leg relative to the floor - first this leg is lower, then the other.You cannot lift your back and the back of your head off the floor!
- Pull while lying on your stomach.The exercise is performed similarly to regular traction, only the patient's position is changed - the patient lies on his stomach.
- Bicycle.A man lies on his back, raises his legs 45 degrees and pedals an imaginary bicycle in the air.
The exercises we list are simple and do not require special physical training;Any man can do them.There is a high probability that the exercises will not be performed perfectly right away.It is important to understand what is right and strive for it.
Attention!When performing exercises to treat prostatitis, you should warm up - jump, clap your hands, shake your body and limbs, and run on the spot.The exercises are performed 10 times in 3 approaches, starting with 5 times in 1 approach.The load is increased every 2 or 3 weeks until the recommended number of reps and approach are achieved.
Yoga
Training according to the rules of ancient Indian gymnastics is not suitable for every man.It is important to have at least some physical skills to treat prostatitis by performing therapeutic yoga exercises.
The advantage of yoga is that it is extremely popular in modern society;There are a lot of educational materials on the Internet - videos, books.With this in mind, we will recommend some exercises from this discipline that can help men in the fight against prostatitis:
- surya namaskar (morning exercise set);
- Chandra Namaskar (evening exercise set);
- kapalabgati (abdominal breathing technique);
- “Lotus” asana with heels rolled into the groin area;
- “Makarasana” asana (relaxation pose) – from 15 minutes to an hour;
- “Viparita Karani” asana (birch tree pose);
- Ashwini Mudra (controlled contraction of the anal muscles).
All recommended exercises should be performed under the supervision of a yoga instructor.The order of the postures is very important and should also be agreed upon by a specialist.The asanas are not performed individually;they are performed in combination with other exercises.The duration of classes is individual and depends on the patient's physical fitness.
Kegel exercises treat prostatitis
Basically, gymnastics developed by Dr. Kegel is aimed at preventing various diseases in men, but there is one exercise that has a special healing effect on inflamed prostate - it is “pelvic floor stretching”.The essence of the exercise is to stretch the muscles that a person uses when defecating, and not the buttocks, as one might think.It is advisable to leave the intestines empty.Or, as an option, you should do the exercise sitting on the toilet seat - this will save the patient from the unpleasant consequences of the exercise.You need to push not with your abdominal muscles, but with the muscles surrounding the rectum and sphincter.The doctor advised pushing as if the patient wanted to vomit the prostate out.The inflamed organ is perceived by the patient as a foreign object stuck in the rectum.The patient's efforts should be aimed at his imaginary "defecation."Exercises should be performed 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes.
Physical exercises for prostatitis performed under strict expert guidance can bring significant benefits to the male body.
Football
Fitball (not to be confused with “soccer”!) is a type of aerobics (fitness) that uses a large ball (up to one meter in diameter).Fitball organically complements aerobics, adding an element of strength to it.Fitball allows you to lose weight in a fairly short period of time.This quality attracts many people to this type of fitness.Obesity is a factor that aggravates the process of prostatitis.After getting rid of excess weight, you can begin regular exercises from complex exercise therapies for prostatitis.What exercises are there for prostatitis in fitball?Let's list them:
- Rotate the pelvis on the ball.The balloon should be slightly deflated and not elastic.Sit on the ball with your legs stretched out in front.Then they make rotational movements with the pelvis, alternating movements to the left and right - 5-10 to the left, then the same to the right.
- Grab the ball with your feet while lifting.The ball is hugged by the patient from both sides, then lifted off the floor using the thigh muscles.An exercise can be considered effective when the anal muscles are significantly worked during its execution.
- Rotate your feet with the ball.You need a ball up to 50 cm in diameter;a larger one will not work.The man lies on his back and lifts the ball with his legs straight at an angle of 50-60 degrees.The ball is clamped on both sides of the foot, the legs rotate like a pendulum - left and right.
That's it.We couldn't find any other specialized fitball exercises against prostatitis.But fitball itself is good;we remember that excess weight is a strong factor in the development of prostatitis.Eliminating excess weight will help men more easily cope with the unpleasant disease.