It’s called Stealth Yoga.  It’s a yoga class designed for prostate cancer survivors.

The exercise helps the men regain their strength and flexibility by sneaking yoga in with resistance training.

Nicole Culos-Reed, PhD, a researcher with the University of Calgary Kinesiology department has studied the impact of yoga on prostate cancer survivors and determined it helps in their recovery.

The yoga helps the men maintain their lean muscle mass.  Culos-Reed says “from a physiological point of view, when you have muscle wasting you want to sit and you don’t want to do things that cause more fatigue.   It creates a downward spiral”.

The yoga class is held at the Calgary Prostate Centre, and participants say the camaraderie is as important as the exercise. 

John White says “to actually talk to guys who are in the same boat and may have come up with some ideas and experiences – that’s absolutely invaluable.”

The goal is to expand that program so that it is available through the City of Calgary’s Parks and Recreation department at other locations in the city.