Best Exercises for Hemorrhoids: Plus Home Remedies & Lifestyle Tips

At least once in your adult life, you may develop hemorrhoids. Fortunately, there are exercises you can do to help treat and prevent these swollen veins located around or in your anus.

Regular exercise can also help improve your digestive health and encourage regular bowel movements.

Read on to discover six exercises that target your rectal tissues along with your abdominal and sphincter muscles to relieve swelling and inflammation. We’ll also review home remedies and lifestyle tips you can use to help treat and manage your symptoms.

These six exercises can help treat and prevent hemorrhoids.

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can make it easier to pass stool, relax your anal sphincter, and prevent straining.

This exercise helps alleviate pelvic floor muscle tension and promote relaxation.

This pose helps increase circulation around your anus and relieve constipation while relaxing your lower back, hips, and legs. It's said to provide a massage to your internal organs. To increase the pressure to your lower abdomen, place your fists or stacked palms on this area.

This asana can boost circulation to your anus while alleviating discomfort and irritation.

This pose provides pressure to your abdomen, which can help improve digestive comfort. It also helps relax the muscles in your abdomen, buttocks, and anus. To deepen the stretch, raise your head and tuck your chin into your chest.

This pose can strengthen and improve flexibility in your inner thighs, groin, and knees. It can also help stimulate your abdominal organs and soothe digestive discomfort.

Avoid strenuous or high impact types of exercise, especially those that put pressure on your abdominals, anal area, or hemorrhoids. These types of activities may make your symptoms worse and cause pain, irritation, or bleeding.

Exercises to avoid include:

You can use some home remedies and lifestyle tips to treat and prevent hemorrhoids. These tips can also help you have regular bowel movements.

While you can treat hemorrhoids on your own, it's important to pay attention to certain symptoms that could call for a doctor's appointment.

See a doctor if your hemorrhoids don't get better after a week of treatment or if you experience bloody stools or rectal bleeding. Your doctor will determine if the bleeding is from hemorrhoids or a more serious condition.

Rectal bleeding can happen due to colorectal or anal cancer, especially if it's accompanied by changes in your bowel habits, including the color and consistency of your stools.

If you have a hemorrhoid that develops rapidly or is extremely painful, it could be a sign of a blood clot that has developed inside. For the most relief, you must remove the clot within the first 48 hours.

Seek emergency care immediately if you:

Whether you have hemorrhoids for the first time or recurring flare-ups, you can manage your symptoms and prevent future occurrences with changes to your diet, exercise plan, and lifestyle.

Talk to a doctor to determine if there are any underlying causes for your hemorrhoids and to discuss an appropriate treatment plan.