Can exercise cure gynaecomastia?

Gynaecomastia is a common and understandably embarrassing condition, affecting a large number of men. While surgical treatment is available, you may be wondering whether it’s better to simply up your exercise routine rather than go under the knife.

So, could exercise cure gynecomastia, preventing the need for surgery? Below you’ll discover everything you need to know.

Determining the cause of male breasts

The treatment for gnaecomastia will depend very much upon the cause of the problem. If you’re suffering from true gynaecomastia, it cannot be cured via exercise.

This is because true gynaecomastia is typically caused by hormonal changes within the body. These can trigger the glandular tissue within the breasts to thicken and grow to excessive levels. Exercising, therefore, wouldn’t do much to resolve this type of gynaecomastia.

However, there are cases where the enlarged breasts could be down to a poor diet and exercise routine. This tends to be referred to as pseudo gynaecomastia.

So, exercise might help?

Potentially, yes exercise could help. If you live a fairly unhealthy lifestyle, Pseudo Gynaecomastia can develop. Rather than tissue, the problem tends to be excess fat, something exercise can work to burn off.

It is worth noting that very few cases of Gynaecomastia are treatable with exercise alone. However, if you do discover the issue is caused by excess fat, rather than hormonal changes and tissue, there are some exercises you might want to try out.

Which types of exercise should you focus on?  

If your gynaecomastia is discovered to be down to an unhealthy lifestyle, exercise can be used to minimise and eradicate the problem. The exercises you’ll want to focus on include:

• The chest press
• Push ups
• Pullovers

The chest press is by far one of the most effective chest exercises you can do. All gyms have chest press machines, but you can also perform them at home with the help of dumbbells. You’ll need to lie with your back flat on the floor, holding the dumbbells in each hand. Lift the arms up into the air in a smooth, controlled manner. Then, lower them back down, again keeping the movement controlled.

Push ups and pullovers can also really help. In particular, you’ll want to focus on decline push ups, with your feet on a bench and your arms on the floor. They’re not easy, but they are very effective!

Overall, exercise can prove helpful if you suffer from pseudo gynaecomastia. However, if you’re suffering from true gynaecomastia, surgery does tend to be the only effective treatment option.