5 Exercise Tips to Prevent Hemorrhoidal Attack
By JoEllen Watkins
If you've never gotten a sudden hemorrhoid from weightlifting, consider yourself lucky. Anything that increases intra-abdominal pressure, such as weightlifting, can cause hemorrhoids. Follow these tips to modify your workout and get exercise benefits while helping your anus heal.
When your hemorrhoids are acting up, don't lift your usual amount of weight. Instead, use a lighter weight and concentrate on proper form.
Bend down to the weight with your knees. Keep your back straight. Use both hands to reach for weight. Keep your perineal and torso muscles contracted. Prepare to exhale on the lift. Press up from the floor with your quadriceps and glutes - not your back. During the lift, keep back straight.
During a severe flare-up with anal bleeding, restrict vigorous exercise until the bleeding subsides. For cardio, use an elliptical cross-trainer or other device that uses momentum to assist your movements. Go slow; it's better than doing nothing at all.
If you have access to a swimming pool, get in there and enjoy the water! Even if you don't swim, get a flotation device that will let you float and kick. You'll get a full-body workout with no hemorrhoid strain.
For long-term prevention, Kegel exercises are recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor, which includes the perineum and anus. Both men and women can do these easy exercises. The muscles are sometimes hard to locate. To find them, do one of the following:
While urinating, try to stop the flow. This is the muscle movement you'll repeat.
Imagine you're trying to hold back a fart (passing gas). If you feel a "pulling" sensation, you've found the right muscle.
For women: insert finger in vagina while imagining you're stopping urine flow. If you feel tightness on your finger, you've found the right muscle.
For all Kegel exercises, remember to isolate the pelvic muscles and do not contract any others (e.g. abdominals, legs, or others). Imagine an upside-down funnel...and imagine pulling in energy through the broad mouth of the funnel, without ever engaging the abdominals. Don't hold your breath during the contraction. Try to breathe normally and let the muscle do the work. It is more difficult than it sounds at first, so start slow: Lie on the floor, contract the muscle for a count of 3, then relax it for a count of 3. Do as many repetitions as you can, working your way up to 15 per session.
To achieve lasting pelvic strength that will support your anus and minimize hemorrhoid flare-ups, do at least 3 sessions of Kegels daily. As you advance, you can do them standing, while driving, or in other positions. They will benefit not just your hemorrhoids, but your ability to hold urine, pass bowel movements, and even enjoy more pleasurable sexual relations.
To view a short video about the benefits of Kegel exercise, click below.
Quality perineal exercisers are manufactured with medical-grade plastics to ensure comfort and cleanliness. They help you isolate the correct muscles that are essential to perianal health. Nuisances that will be ancient history once you get the hang of perineal exercisers: abdominal and back strain, urinary incontinence, inability to orgasm, and hemorrhoidal flare-ups.
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