Hormone therapy and exercise

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 262

I know that Hubby needs to walk a fair bit to prevent osteoporosis but have read, multiple times, about the 'weight exercises' that are also needed while on hormone therapy.
His muscle mass is definitely diminished in his upper body, since this began.

We are now living on his workplaces' disability and it's not much, so we cannot afford to join a gym.

Can anyone tell me how to replicate those exercises or something similar at home?

Thanking you in advance,

Best wishes, as always,

Jean

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 262

Sorry about the triple post~~must be magic! Shocked

Really do need some examples of the weight exercies though, and how to replicate them at home.

Merci,

Jean

johnT · Senior User Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 235

Any sporting goods store should have 5lb weights and excercise bands. That's all you need, about 20 mins every other day.
JohnT
_________________
psa at diagnosis 40 in nov-08
gleason 6 and 7
Treatment choice seeds and IMRT

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 262

Thanks JohnT.

I have some 5 lb weights around here some place, used them myself for a rotator cuff injury awhile ago.

Will see about the exercise bands also.

I guess if he starts to get his musculature back, he can move up to heavier ones also??

He does tire easily, so think we'll see how it goes. Thanks again. Smile

Best wishes, as always,

Jean

mkane09 · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: Re: Hormone therapy and exercise

Jean, light weights (5# sounds fine) and work on building repetitions over time. Make sure he strengthens his back extensors and scapular musculature. Start on his stomach (best on a narrow bench), lift his weights towards the ceiling, either with bent elbows or straight arms. Also lying on his stomach, cross his arms (with the weights) and arch backwards towards the ceiling. Try lying on the floor for that one, maybe a big pillow under his stomach to give him some leverage. To prevent vertebral compression fractures from osteoporosis (RE: ADT), you need to strengthen the back extensors. Stay away from abdominal crunches as these increase the compression load on the vertebral bodies, making you MORE susceptible to fractures. Walking is good exercise for your legs, can provide cardiovascular benefit, but does NOTHING for your spinal musculature. Weight training done right for your back extensors actually makes your vertebrae stronger. Wolfe's Law: bone grows in response to the loads placed upon it.

I'm not actually a physical therapist....I just stayed at a Holiday Inn last night. (Actually, I've been a P.T. for 31 years)....

mkane09
_________________
PSA 6.48, biopsy Gleason 3+4, robotic prostatectomy 9/17/08, pathology Gleason 4+5, pathologic stage T2c, positive margins, first post-op PSA 10-15-08 0.10; 2nd post-op PSA, January, 2009 0.18; SRT completed May 22, 2009. 1st post-radiation PSA, 8-4-09, <0.06. PSA 12-22-09 <0.06

brainman · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:10 am Post subject: Re: Hormone therapy and exercise

Jean, multiple posting of the same message do occasionally happen. I bet you received an error message at didn't thing your message was posted so you backed up and posted it again? Very Happy

Don't worry about it Wink

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Hawk · Senior User Joined: 22 Nov 2006 Posts: 425

Jean,

I am not an authority on hormone treatment but I am very familiar with body strength exercises for aging men. I think authorities such as PH.D's William Evans, and M.D.'s such as Irwin Rosenberg, and Cooper would suggest heavier dumb bells in the 15 -25 lb range (of course building up slowly).

Older men need strength training far more than young men and it is a common error to relegate them to 5 lb weights. Proper form is important with all exercises and youtube.com is a great source for videos.

A lot can be done with just body weight. Push-ups, pull-ups and chin-ups will hit almost every major upper body muscle group. The latter two require a good chin-up bar. he can do assisted chin-up by putting a chair under one leg until he strengthens enough to do 3 or 4 unassisted.

Wall squats and lunges (starting with no weights) are also a great workout for the bodies major muscles (qudracepts and glutemusmaximus)
_________________
History: PSA's 6.7 neg. biopsy - PSA 16.6 neg. biopsy - PSA's 8.2, 8.1, 8.7 - Biopsy. 4+4 Gleason 8. Lap RP Apr 2004, age 52 All neg margins, nodes, and structures. (T2a). Post RP PSA: every 6 mo. <.1 until Feb, 08 (46 mos) PSA .1 - I then got sensitive tests (all in 2008) showing:
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Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 262

Thanks Mike and Hawk, your input is very much appreciated.

Shall take a look at those YouTube exercises and take a look in my old nursing measures texts as well.

They're from a long time ago but I doubt that physio changes much.

Have not got my hands on any bands yet but shall persevere til I have them.

Hubby didn't look thrilled to hear about the exercises, he thought walking was enough but I shall start cracking the whip in the next day or so. Wink

Best wishes, as always,

Jean

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 262

Brainman, no error message, it just did it all by itself! Scary, eh?? Wink

cantexplain · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:50 pm Post subject: Re: Hormone therapy and exercise

Jean 222

I just ran across your thread regarding exercise and exercise bands. Most medical supply stores have bands that run from minimal resistance, to more extreme resistance, to "cant' pull them anymore" And, all the control is in the user: your husband can use the smaller bands for lighter weight resisitance, then double the bands over and finish the workout with a couple of big deal pulls. I travel with them, use them in the morning for other issues (cervical surgery on my neck, totally unrelated to my pca) and it's amazing how much resistance and force the user can control. Excllent for stretching muscles, and putting some tone in the muscles at the same time. The bands are multi-colored, are very inexpensive and worth a look. Or, Sporting Goods stores sell the same thing, but more $$$

Cantexplain
------------

Age; 56
gleason: 3+3+6
PSA: 4.9
stage: t2a
cores: 1 of 10
No treatment as of yet.

neutrondbob

I had not followed this board in a long while and did not follow how you and your husband were doing. I definitely sympathize with his(yours) journey and know exactly what ADT therapy is like, having done 2 yrs. of ADT3, not easy and is an emotional rollercoaster too, hopefully he can try intermittent or other options down the road.

I don't know if you care to respond herein or not, will leave that to you.

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