There is an opinion that physical exercise for prostatitis can have a positive effect on a person's health - is this true?In fact, gymnastics has long been used in medicine to treat various diseases, including prostatitis.Of course, physical activity is not useful in all cases of prostatitis - there are forms of the disease in which exercise treatment is strictly contraindicated.But the benefits of prescribing therapeutic exercises for men with prostatitis cannot be denied.Physiotherapy is a simple, economical, affordable and effective remedy for this disease.
About prostatitis
Before treating prostatitis with gymnastic exercises, you should know the characteristics of this disease.With the necessary information, you can effectively treat the disease with physical exercises, as well as avoid the use of physical therapy (physiotherapy) in cases where it can be harmful.
Prostate gland
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate (prostate).This organ plays an important role in the sexual life of men, it synthesizes the hormone "dihydrotestosterone", which enables attraction to the weaker sex and erection of the penis.The prostate produces a secretion that mixes with the sperm and makes it liquid and able to pass through the urethra.This secret also affects the sperm, making them mobile, powerful and viable.
The prostate is located below the bladder and is connected to the ureter.The secretion produced by the organ enters the urethra through communicating channels.When the prostate becomes inflamed, its tissue expands and compresses the ureter from the side - this impairs the patency of the urethra.The most characteristic symptom of prostatitis is urination problems.To this must be added the symptoms of severe pelvic pain and impotence.
Types of prostatitis
Inflammation of the prostate can occur due to congestion in the pelvic area and the penetration of the infectious agent into the prostate tissue.A less common cause of inflammation is the initiation of benign (prostate adenoma) and malignant (prostate cancer) oncological processes.Thus, depending on the cause of 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 during his life.The disease is an age-related disease - it primarily affects middle-aged and elderly men, but recently young people are also becoming more and more ill.Why is this so?
Today is the age of a sedentary lifestyle.This fact is astonishing given the powerful dynamics of modernity – people multitask and can do dozens of different things in a day.But if we delve deeper into what is happening, it becomes clear: two out of three jobs are freelance, which are done 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.Thus, men are sedentary despite all possible activities.
Physical inactivity is the cause of poor blood circulation in the body.Like any other hydrodynamic system, the circulatory system also needs dynamic circulation.Let us explain by analogy the operation of a mechanical watch with a winding function.If the watch is in a static position, the winding will not work - only in the case of a dynamic effect.And the circulatory system only works normally when a person moves.
The permanent posture of a freelancer, driver or office worker is in a sitting position.Our bodies have adapted to sitting;the glutes help you in this, they can balance the pressure on the circulatory system of the pelvis for a long time.But sitting for long periods of time fatigues the muscles, which causes long-term compression syndrome - a pathological phenomenon that is harmful to men's health.The heavier a man is, the shorter the shock-absorbing function of the buttocks becomes - obese men are more susceptible to prostatitis than thin men.
Another problem is bad habits.According to statistics, an average office worker smokes half a pack of cigarettes and drinks 2-4 cups of coffee a day, and prefers beer and computer games in the evening.Coffee and beer are drinks that are very harmful to the prostate;Add to that smoking and prolonged sitting, and the likelihood of developing prostatitis is high.
Summarizing the above, we name three main reasons for the occurrence of prostatitis in young men of the modern era:
- physical inactivity;
- prolonged sitting;
- bad habits.
Important!Treating prostatitis with exercise training is a solution for many men who lead a more sedentary lifestyle.The ability to cure an illness by being away from the home computer for a short time is just right for the modern man.
Therapeutic exercises in the treatment of prostatitis
Physiotherapy for prostatitis has long been and successfully used in various therapeutic cultural traditions - Greek (gymnastics), Chinese (kung fu), Indian (yoga), Anglo-Saxon (aerobics, fitness, fitball).Practical therapy for prostatitis shows good results;ideal for home treatment of prostatitis, excellent therapy for men.
On the effect of therapeutic exercises on the male body
Physical activity circulates blood throughout the body, feeding the tissues with the necessary substances.A man who performs special exercises against prostatitis can ensure that pelvic congestion is eliminated, blood flow washes away dead cells, prostate tissue is renewed, and inflammation is eliminated.In addition, exercise strengthens the body.Thus, gymnastic exercises not only cure prostatitis, but also help improve a person's health.However, movement therapy cannot be used unconditionally in all cases of the disease.Let's look at the list of contraindications for the use of physical exercises for men with prostate disease.
General contraindications to exercise:
- Exercise cannot treat prostatitis if it is in the acute stage.In the acute stage of inflammation, the prostate tissue becomes sensitive to dynamic effects and can be damaged.Exacerbation causes severe pain, and exercise increases it further, making physical exercise torture.
- You can not practice sports activities that involve sitting - this is a harmful practice for prostatitis;these types of prostatitis exercises should be avoided.It can be cycling, some poses to pump up the abs.
- Exercises to treat prostatitis should not be performed by men with high blood pressure or heart problems;who have recently undergone surgery, suffer from an inguinal hernia.
- Some experts consider gymnastics to be harmful for infectious and oncological forms of prostatitis.This opinion is debatable, 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 authentically assess the possible benefits and harms of exercise therapy in each case.
Exercises for prostatitis
Regular exercise for prostatitis can seriously alleviate the patient's condition, provided that everything is done correctly.And for the avoidance of doubt, let's see what exercises you can do.
Classic medical gymnastics
Traditional therapeutic practices for prostatitis appeared in the time of the ancient Greeks.The founder of this type of gymnastics was the physician Herodicus, who was an extraordinary person: he was seriously ill with a "disease affecting the respiratory system", and he promoted a series of exercises in Greece 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 treat many ailments, including prostatitis.The discipline founded by the doctor became the prototype of modern gymnastics therapy.Herodicus' practices have come down to us in images depicted on amphorae and frescoes.These include 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 thighs parallel to the floor.The position of the back must not change during the execution of the task.
- Lying hip lift.Lying on his back, the patient brings his hips together and raises them perpendicular to the axis of the floor.When performing a task, your back should remain on the floor without leaving it.
- Squat.The patient holds his arms parallel to the floor in front of him and squats so that the sacrum almost touches the floor.The hands maintain their position during the execution of the task.You can't lift your heels off the ground!
- Lifting the buttocks off the floor.Resting his elbows and feet on the floor, the patient arches upwards and lifts his bottom off the ground.
- Scissors lying on back.A man in a supine position raises his legs 45 degrees from the floor and begins to cross them, alternately changing the position of both legs relative to the floor - first one lower, then the other.You can't lift your back and head off the floor!
- Scissors lying on his stomach.The exercise is performed in the same way as ordinary scissors, only the position of the patient 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 special physical preparation;any man can perform them.There is a high probability that the exercises will not be performed flawlessly immediately.It is important to understand what is right and strive for it.
Attention!When performing physical exercises for prostatitis, it is advisable to warm up - jumping, clapping, shaking the body and limbs, running in place.Exercises should be performed 10 times in 3 approaches, starting with 5 times in 1 approach.The load is increased every 2-3 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 every man.To treat prostatitis, one must have at least some physical ability to perform therapeutic yoga exercises.
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 recommend some exercises from this discipline that can help a man fight prostatitis:
- surya namaskar (set of morning exercises);
- Chandra Namaskar (set of evening exercises);
- kapalabgati (abdominal breathing technique);
- "lotus" asana with heel turn to the groin area;
- "Makarasana" asana (relaxing pose) - 15 minutes to an hour;
- "Viparita Karani" asana (Birch Tree Pose);
- Ashwini mudra (controlled contraction of the anal muscles).
All recommended exercises must be performed under the supervision of a yoga instructor.The order of the poses is important, this should also be discussed with a specialist.Asanas are not performed by themselves;performed in combination with other exercises.The duration of the classes is individual and depends on the patient's physical fitness.
Kegel exercises to treat prostatitis
The gymnastics developed by Dr. Kegel are basically aimed at preventing various male diseases, but there is one exercise that has a therapeutic effect specifically on prostatitis - this is "pelvic floor muscle tension".The essence of the exercise is to stretch the muscles used by a person during defecation, and not the bottom, as you might think.It is advisable that the bowels are empty.Or, as an option, perform the exercise sitting on the toilet seat - this will save the patient from the unpleasant consequences of the exercise.It is not necessary to press with the abdominal muscles, but with those that surround the rectum and the sphincter.The doctor advises to push as if the patient wants to throw up the prostate.Patients perceive the inflamed organ as a foreign object stuck in the rectum.The patient's efforts should be aimed at imaginary "pooping".The exercise should be performed 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes.
Physical exercises against prostatitis, performed under the strict guidance of a specialist, can bring significant benefits to the male body.
Fitball
Fitball (not to be confused with "soccer") is a type of aerobics (fitness) that uses a large (up to one meter in diameter) ball.Fitball organically complements aerobics, adding a strength factor.Fitball allows you to lose weight in a fairly short time.This feature 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 therapeutic complexes for prostatitis.What exercises are there for prostatitis in fitball?Let's list them:
- Spinning the pool on the ball.The ball should be slightly deflated and inflexible.Sit on the ball with your legs extended forward.Then they make rotating movements with the pelvis, alternating left and right - 5-10 to the left, then the same number to the right.
- Hugging the ball with your leg while lifting.He hugs the ball from the patient's side, then lifts it off the floor with his thigh muscles.An exercise is considered effective if the muscles of the anus work significantly during the execution.
- Leg twists with the ball.You need a ball with a diameter of no more than 50 cm;bigger is not possible.The man lies on his back and lifts the ball with straight legs at an angle of 50-60 degrees.The ball is squeezed by the side of the legs, the legs are rotated like a pendulum - left and right.
That's all.We did not find any other special fitball exercises against prostatitis.But fitball is good in itself;we remember that being overweight is a strong factor in the development of prostatitis.Eliminating excess weight makes it easier for men to fight against the unpleasant disease.