Hemorrhoids are swollen and inflamed veins in your lower anus and rectum. According to the Mayo Clinic website, hemorrhoids can develop from increased pressure in the lower rectum. The Mayo Clinic website also states causes can be straining during bowel movements, sitting on the toilet for a long time, chronic diarrhea or constipation, obesity and even pregnancy. Exercising has been shown to help with hemorrhoids and can help prevent them from occuring.
Aerobic Exercise
According to the Mayo Clinic website, excess weight can contribute to or cause hemorroids. Aerobic exercise is the best way to lose excess weight and the MayoClinic.com also notes that being active will also help reduce pressure on veins. Activites like jogging, running, aerobics or using elliptical machines are all forms of aerobic exercise and great ways to burn fat and lose weight.
Gluteal Muscle Exercise
According to USA Today's Health Scout, exercising the buttock or gluteal muscles can help to prevent hemorroids. There are three gluteal muscles and they can be trained with a variety of leg exercises. Compound movements like lunges, squats, and deadlifts all train the glute muscle, according to Muscle and Strength. Lunges involve holding weights and lunging or stepping out with one leg until your back knee touches the ground. Squats are performed holding weights with your feet shoulder-width apart and squatting down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Deadlifts are performed by bending down to pick up weights and then simply extending your torso to stand straight up.
Kegel Exercises
According to hemorroid.net, kegel exercises can help tighten tissues and strengthen muscles that support the rectum. Kegel exercises are performed by squeezing the PC muscle. According to hemorrhoid.net, the PC muscle is the muscle that stops the flow of urine if you squeeze it. Hemorrhoid.net recommends performing long-cycle and short-cycle kegel exercises. During the long-cycle, you squeeze the muscle for 10 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds, while in the short-cycle you repeatedly squeeze and release every second.
Strengthening and Flexibility
A full body strengthening and flexibility program can help you to prevent hemorrhoids. Strength and flexibility can help support tissues that the Mayo Clinic website states get weaker and stretch with age. In addition, by weight training, you can help to burn more fat and build muscle -- both factors that will help fight obesity, which is a cause of hemorrhoids. Focusing on strength training and stretching surrounding glute muscles like the lower back, groin and hips can help ease the pain and aid the glutes in fighting hemorrhoids.
