One More Reason to Exercise
An enlarged prostate is a source of distress for many men face as they age. The enlargement of the prostate is sometimes called BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia. As the prostate gland swells, it clamps down on the urethra, interfering with normal urine flow. Medications and surgery are two conventional forms of treatment available for a man with an enlarged prostate. Exercise may be another treatment option to discuss with your doctor.
Most physical activity may be beneficial to those suffering from mild symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. Of course, depending on the overall state of your health, you can engage in most of the activities you normally enjoy, as long as you remember to keep out of the cold. The National Institutes of Health's Medline service has expressed that exposure to the cold and a lack of exercise may increase the number and severity of symptoms. If jogging during the wintertime is your only way to stay active during the cold season, have the discussion with your physician.
Daily exercise is vital in keeping your muscles active and your brain at its best. While walking, running, biking, swimming are all optimum choices, cleaning out the garage, working in the yard, or reorganizing the attic are also helpful forms of exercise. The idea is to stay active and not take root on the couch. Staying active helps to reduce muscle atrophy and also helps keep you feeling younger and more energetic.
Some useful exercises to help your prostate:
Yoga can help keep your prostate fit and healthy. Certain yoga postures such as Seated Sun, Restrained Angle Pose, Reclining Big Toe Pose or other poses such as Boat Pose, Bow Pose, or Hero Pose can benefit ward off more serious symtoms.
Lunges exercise your glutes, hamstrings, prostate, quads and calf muscles. Lunges are more helpful when combined with exercises like squats. Begin your lunge routine by standing straight with one leg forward in front of you and the other aimed behind you. Holding onto a comfortable weight for resistance, slowly move your front knee downwards to a 90 degree position. Keep your back straight and head looking straight forward. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds, ease your weight back on your heels and push yourself slowly back into position. Start slowly, and add lunges as you are able.
Squats, like the lunges, work your hamstrings, calves, glutes and quads. They also strengthen the muscles around the prostate gland. When you strengthen the muscles in this area, you can help prevent involuntary urination. Begin with your feet apart and standing straight. Keep your feet hip-width apart and the toes should point straight. Tightly pull in your stomach muscles and be sure your thighs are parallel to the ground. When bending, 90 degrees is the maximum you should bend. Try to work yourself up to doing 12-16 daily.
Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor, the group of muscles surrounding your pelvis and lying just above your perianal region. Kegels are most often associated with strengthening the pelvic area in women before and after childbirth, however, men may also see the benefits, using these exercises to relieve some of the urinary symptoms that go along with with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Kegel exercises are done by tensing the muscles used to control the flow of urine. Learning to do a kegel correctly without tightening the sphinter and gluteal muscles in your buttocks can be difficult; practice your first kegels by urinating and stopping yourself mid-stream. Once you have learned which muscles to contract, you can perform the exercise anywhere at any time.
Exercises to Avoid
When a man sits down, pressure is forced on the prostate gland, which can sometimes cause an increase in painful symptoms when the gland is already enlarged. Biking, rowing, weightlifting from a sitting position and other forms of physical activity that are performed while you sit should be avoided if symptoms persist.
Exercise alone may or may not be enough to keep your BPH symptoms in check. If you get regular exercise and symptoms persist, speak to your doctors about your options. You might benefit from prescription medications that make urination easier or antibiotics that fight chronic inflammation.
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