There is an opinion that exercise for prostatitis can have a positive effect on a man's health - is it true?In fact, gymnastics has been used in medicine for a long time to treat a variety of ailments, including prostatitis.Naturally, physical activity is not useful in all cases of prostatitis: there are forms of the disease in which treatment with physical exercise is strictly contraindicated.But the benefits of prescribing therapeutic exercises to a man suffering from prostatitis cannot be negated.Physical therapy is a simple, affordable, cost-effective and effective cure for this disease.
About prostatitis
Before treating prostatitis with gymnastic exercises, it is necessary to know the characteristics of this disease.Possessing the necessary information will allow you to effectively treat the disease with physical exercise, as well as avoid the use of physical therapy (physiotherapy) in cases where it can be harmful.
Prostate gland
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland (prostate).This organ plays an important role in man's sexual life, synthesizing the hormone "dihydrotestosterone", which makes attraction to the weaker sex and erection of the penis possible.The prostate produces a secretion which, mixed with sperm, makes it liquid and capable of passing through the urethra.This secret also affects sperm, making them mobile, vigorous and vital.
The prostate is located under the bladder, attached to the ureter.The secretion produced by the organ enters the urethra through the communicating ducts.When the prostate becomes inflamed, its tissues expand and compress the ureter from the sides, compromising the patency of the urethra.Problem with urination is the most characteristic sign of prostatitis.Added to this are the symptoms of intense pain in the pelvic area and impotence.
Types of prostatitis
Inflammation of the prostate gland can occur due to congestion in the pelvic area and the penetration of an infectious agent into the prostate tissue.A rarer cause of inflammation is the onset of oncological processes, both benign (prostate adenoma) and malignant (prostate cancer).Therefore, depending on the cause that caused the inflammation, prostatitis is divided into the following types:
- stagnant;
- infectious;
- hyperplasiogenic.
Causes of the disease
Prostatitis is a disease that a man can rarely avoid in his lifetime.The disease is an age-related disease: it mainly affects middle-aged and elderly men, but recently young people are also increasingly starting to get sick.Why is this so?
The present time is an era of sedentary lifestyle.This fact is surprising when you consider the powerful dynamic demonstrated by modernity: people work multiple jobs, managing to accomplish dozens of different things in a day.But when you delve deeper into what is happening, it becomes clear: out of three jobs, two are freelance, taking place at home on the computer;you don't have to walk if you have a car;food can be ordered online and delivered to your home.Therefore, men, despite all possible activities, are sedentary.
Physical inactivity is the cause of poor blood circulation in the body.Like any other hydrodynamic system, the circulatory system requires dynamic circulation.We explain by analogy with the operation of a mechanical wristwatch with winding function.If the watch is in a static position, charging will not work, only under dynamic influence.And the circulatory system works normally only when a person moves.
The permanent posture of a freelancer, vehicle driver or office worker is in a sitting position.Our body is adapted to sitting;the gluteal muscles help a person in this, they can level the pressure on the circulatory system of the pelvis for a long time.But prolonged sitting tires the muscles, causing long-term compression syndrome, a pathological phenomenon harmful to men's health.The more a man weighs, the more impaired the shock-absorbing function of the buttocks becomes: obese men are more susceptible to prostatitis than thin men.
Another problem is bad habits.Statistics say that the average office worker smokes half a pack of cigarettes and drinks 2-4 glasses of coffee a day, and in the evenings prefers beer and computer games.Coffee and beer are very harmful drinks for the prostate;If we add to this smoking and prolonged sitting, we will have a high probability of developing prostatitis.
To summarize the above, we will name three main reasons for the occurrence of prostatitis in young people of the modern era:
- physical inactivity;
- prolonged sitting;
- bad habits.
Important!Treatment of prostatitis with the help of gymnastic training is a solution for many men who prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle.The ability to cure an illness by taking a short break from the home computer is exactly what suits modern man.
Therapeutic exercise in the treatment of prostatitis
Physical therapy for prostatitis has been used for a long time and successfully in various therapeutic cultural traditions: Greek (gymnastics), Chinese (kung fu), Indian (yoga), Anglo-Saxon (aerobic, fitness, fitball).Physical therapy for prostatitis shows good results;it is ideal for treating prostatitis at home, becoming an excellent therapy for men.
On the effect of therapeutic exercises on the male body
Physical activity circulates blood throughout the body, nourishing the 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 bloodstream, prostate tissue is renewed and inflammation disappears.In addition, training will strengthen the body.Therefore, gymnastic exercises will not only cure prostatitis, but also help improve a man's health.However, physical 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 diseases.
General contraindications to the use of physical exercise:
- Gymnastics cannot treat prostatitis if it is in the acute stage.Prostate tissue in the acute phase of inflammation becomes vulnerable to dynamic effects and can be damaged.A flare-up causes severe pain, exercise intensifies it further, making exercise torture.
- It is not possible to practice sports activities that involve sitting: this is a harmful exercise for prostatitis;exercises for prostatitis of this type should be avoided.It could be cycling, some poses to pump up your abs.
- Exercises for the treatment of prostatitis should not be practiced by men who suffer from high blood pressure or heart problems;who have recently undergone surgery suffer from inguinal hernia.
- Some experts consider gymnastics harmful for infectious and oncological forms of prostatitis.This opinion is questionable, there is no clear recommendation.
Before treating prostatitis with gymnastics, it is important to consult a therapist.The attending physician must be aware of the patient's decisions: this is the person who can authoritatively evaluate the possible benefits and harms of physical therapy in each specific case.
Exercises for prostatitis
Regular exercise for prostatitis can seriously alleviate the patient's condition, provided that he does everything correctly.And so that no doubts remain, let's see what exercises you can do.
Classic therapeutic gymnastics
Traditional therapeutic exercises for prostatitis appeared in the times of the ancient Greeks.The founder of this type of gymnastics was Doctor Herodico, who was a truly extraordinary person: seriously ill with a "disease affecting the respiratory system", he promoted in Greece a series of exercises that could get any patient back on his feet.He was a very famous healer: the philosopher Plato wrote about him with delight.Herodicus' gymnastics was used to cure many diseases, including prostatitis.The discipline, founded by a doctor, became the prototype of modern physical therapy.Herodicus' exercises have come down to us in images depicted on amphorae and frescoes.Among them are those recommended by modern andrology for the treatment of prostatitis:
- Standing hip raise.A man in a standing position, keeping his back straight, alternately raises his thigh parallel to the floor.Your back position should not change while performing the activity.
- Lying hip raise.The patient, in a supine position, brings his hips together and raises them perpendicular to the floor axis.When performing a task, your back should remain on the floor without leaving it.
- Stumpy.The patient holds his arms in front of him parallel to the floor and squats so that the sacrum almost touches the floor.The hands maintain position while performing a task.You can't lift your heels off the ground!
- Lift your buttocks off the floor.The patient, placing his elbows and feet on the floor, arches upwards, lifting his buttocks off the ground.
- Scissors while lying on your back.A man in a lying position raises his legs 45 degrees from the floor and begins to cross them, alternately changing the position of each leg relative to the floor: first one lower, then the other.You cannot lift your back and the back of your head off the floor!
- Scissors while lying on your stomach.The exercise is performed similarly to ordinary scissors, only the patient's position changes: he lies on his stomach.
- Bicycle.A man, lying on his back, raises his legs 45 degrees and pedals an imaginary bicycle in the air.
The exercises we have listed are simple and do not require particular physical preparation;any man can perform them.There is a high probability that the exercises will not be performed flawlessly right away.It is important to understand what is right and fight for it.
Attention!When performing physical exercises for prostatitis, it is advisable to warm up: jumping, clapping, shaking the body and limbs, running 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 to 3 weeks until the recommended number of executions and approaches is reached.
Yoga
Training according to the canons of ancient Indian gymnastics is not suitable for all men.It is important to have at least some physical skills to cure prostatitis by performing therapeutic yoga activities.
The advantage of yoga is its extreme popularity in modern society;there is a lot of educational material on the Internet: videos, books.With this in mind, we will recommend some exercises from this discipline that can help a man in the fight against prostatitis:
- surya namaskar (series of morning exercises);
- Chandra Namaskar (evening exercise series);
- kapalabgati (abdominal breathing technique);
- “lotus” asana with heel inversion in the groin area;
- Asana “Makarasana” (relaxation position) – from 15 minutes to an hour;
- Asana “Viparita Karani” (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 poses is important and must also be agreed with a specialist.Asanas are not performed alone;they are performed in combination with other exercises.The duration of the lessons is individual and depends on the patient's physical form.
Kegel exercises for the treatment of prostatitis
Basically, the gymnastics developed by Dr. Kegel is aimed at preventing various male diseases, but there is one exercise that has a specific therapeutic effect on the inflamed prostate - this is "muscle tension of the pelvic floor".The essence of the exercise is to tense the muscles used by a person during the act of defecation, and not the buttocks, as one might think.It is desirable that the intestine is empty.Or, as an option, you should perform the exercise while sitting on the toilet seat - this will save the patient from the unpleasant consequences of the exercise.You need to push not with the abdominal muscles, but with those surrounding the rectum and sphincter.The doctor recommends pushing as if the patient wants to vomit the prostate.The inflamed organ is perceived by patients as a foreign object stuck in the rectum.The patient's efforts should be aimed at his imaginary “defecation”.The exercise should be performed 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes.
Physical exercises for prostatitis, performed under the strict guidance of a professional, can bring significant benefits to the male body.
Fitball
Fitball (not to be confused with “football”!) is a type of aerobics (fitness) that uses a large ball (up to one meter in diameter).Fitball organically complements aerobics, adding a strength factor to it.Fitball allows you to achieve weight loss in a fairly short time.This quality attracts many people to this type of fitness.Obesity is a factor that significantly aggravates the course of prostatitis.After getting rid of excess weight, you can start regular exercises from physical therapy complexes for prostatitis.What exercises for prostatitis are there in fitball?We list them:
- Rotation of the pelvis on the ball.The ball should be slightly deflated and inelastic.Sit on the ball with your legs extended forward.Then they perform rotational movements with the pelvis, alternating movements to the left and right: 5-10 on the left, then the same amount on the right.
- Hug the ball with your feet while lifting.The ball is hugged by the patient from the side, then lifted off the ground with the muscles of the thighs.An exercise can be considered effective when the anus muscles work significantly during its execution.
- Leg twists with the ball.You need a ball with a maximum diameter of 50 cm;a larger one won't work.The man lies on his back and lifts the ball with straight legs at an angle of 50-60 degrees.The ball is stuck on the sides of the feet, the legs are rotated like a pendulum: left and right.
That's all.We could not find any other specialized fitball exercises against prostatitis.But fitball is good in itself;Let's remember that excess weight is a powerful factor in the development of prostatitis.Getting rid of excess weight will make it easier for men to fight an unpleasant disease.