Men suffering from prostate problems, such as chronic inflammation, swelling, infections or enlargement may find relief from symptoms by doing yoga. Painful urination, inability to perform sexually, a constant urge to urinate and pain in the groin and lower abdomen can also be relieved by doing yoga on a daily basis. Certified yoga instructor Dawn Mahowald of Boulder, Colorado told "Yoga Journal" that yoga works by relieving tension and supporting the muscles of the pelvic floor.
"Discover" Magazine cites studies performed by Dean Ornish, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that showed that a small group of men with early-stage prostate cancer who switched to a low-fat vegan diet and also did yoga and meditation changed the behavior of their genes and the results of their biopsies in 3 months.
Step 1
Lie on your back on the floor to perform the yoga move called the Knee Squeeze. Bend your left knee and lift the head and shoulders from the floor at the same time. Clasp your arms around the left knee. Keeping your head and shoulders lifted off the floor, lift your right knee toward your left one. Now clasp both knees with your arms, pressing the head and the knees toward each other. Hold this position for about 10 to 20 seconds. You also can perform this exercise while sitting on a chair if it is difficult for you to lie on the floor. Sitting on an armless chair, lift one knee toward the chest. Hunch forward, bringing your head and shoulders over the knee and hug the knee close to you. Don't bring both knees up at the same time while sitting on a chair--unless your balance is excellent. Slowly disengage your arms, lower the leg back down to the floor and repeat with the opposite leg.
Step 2
Perform the Reclining Big Toe Pose. You'll need a towel, strap or elastic exercise band for this move. Lie down on the floor on your back, legs straight. Bend the left knee as you exhale and lift it toward your chest. Place a strap around the underside of your foot, near the ball of your foot just below your toes, and hold both ends of the strap in your hands. Slowly straighten the knee, lifting the leg upward, heel pressing toward the ceiling. Adjust the strap as necessary to enable the bent elbows of each arm to remain as close to the floor as possible while your leg is extended toward the ceiling. Hold this position for about 1 minute.
Holding the strap and keeping the right leg on the floor, slowly lower your left leg, still straightened, toward the floor at a 90-degree angle to your left hip. You'll be reaching the heel toward the floor straight out toward your side. Go as far as you can without causing discomfort. Hold this position for about 1 minute.
Step 3
Slowly lift the extended leg back toward the center, over your hips and then slowly lower it to the floor. Repeat this process with the right leg. Throughout the exercise, breathe deeply and slowly. Concentrate on feeling your muscles stretch.
Things You'll Need
- Towel (optional)
- Elastic exercise strap (optional)
