Prost-Fit trainer Lukas Dreyer gives Mr Bones a good stretch. Dreyer says prostate cancer can have a dramatic effect on how men feel about themselves. Photo / Judith Lacy
Prost-Fit trainer Lukas Dreyer gives Mr Bones a good stretch. Dreyer says prostate cancer can have a dramatic effect on how men feel about themselves. Photo / Judith Lacy
When things go wrong “down there”, it can be hard for men with prostate cancer to know where to start.
Palmerston North now has Prost-Fit, a programme to support men with prostate cancer. It is free, thanks to funding from the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ.
Prost-Fit is an exercise class for men to help them before, during and after prostate cancer treatment.
OraKinetics Clinic clinical exercise physiologists Lukas Dreyer and Sonja Dreyer are Palmerston North’s Prost-Fit trainers. Sandra Doherty, also a clinical exercise physiologist, runs a Prost-Fit class in Levin.
The men start with aerobic exercises such as treadmill, arm cycling, step-ups or recline biking. Exercise that requires a seat is avoided, Lukas Dreyer says.
Then there is strength training for the big muscle groups followed by core work with a focus on strengthening the pelvic floor. Incontinence is a big issue post-surgery as the contract/relax response of the pelvic floor muscles slows down because the muscles have been damaged.
The class ends with balance work and agility.
As well as the physical effects of prostate cancer and subsequent treatment, it causes issues for men related to manliness “down there”, Dreyer says.
Testosterone stimulates the growth of the cancer so men take medication to lower their testosterone levels. This reduction affects mood, emotions and personality so they need support.
It is like reverse puberty, leading to men avoiding rather than tackling problems and behaving differently to stressors.
Prostate cancer can lead to erectile dysfunction.
The Palmerston North Prost-Fit class is on Tuesdays at 11am and men can start at any time.
GPs and oncologists refer patients. People can also contact OraKinetics directly — evidence of a prostate cancer diagnosis is required.
The Prost-Fit registered trainers screen and adjust the exercises for other conditions and conduct medical checks before each session. Classes are small enough for one-on-one work and for men who can’t get on the floor, a bed at different heights is used for some exercises.
The one-hour group class is followed by socialising over a cuppa.
“Traditionally, males don’t talk about stuff. They are not like females who sit and talk about it, they go quiet.”
Often the men live alone or are not in an environment where they can talk freely about their health, Dreyer says.
“It’s a place where they can share stuff and just have an opportunity to feel that there is support for them.”
Men tend not to want to talk to their wives about their prostate, they can’t talk to their children about it, and don’t want to talk to their colleagues about it.
They can’t call their doctor every day but can talk to others in the same boat. As Prost-Fit is for pre and post-surgery patients, they can share their experiences with men waiting for surgery.
Prost-Fit is a brilliant initiative because there is a huge need for support for prostate cancer patients, he says.
It has been designed in partnership with Exercise as Medicine NZ, a charitable trust that specialises in exercise for people with long-term conditions such as prostate cancer.
OraKinetics specialises in rehabilitation for people with heart disease, diabetes or dementia, and those who have had a stroke or a joint replacement.
While research has shown the importance of exercise for mental health, most people have low exercise IQ, Dreyer says. They have no idea how to help themselves because they are not “exercise people”.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation receives funding from the Dry July campaign, which challenges people to give up alcohol for July.
This year, Dry July is raising funds for the foundation, Look Good Feel Better NZ, and Pinc & Steel.
The Dry July NZ Trust launched Dry July in New Zealand in 2012, and has since had more than 61,000 people take part. More than $9 million has been raised to support cancer patients, their families and carers.
To sign up, sponsor a friend, join as a team or workplace go to dryjuly.co.nz.
