When Can You Exercise After Prostate Surgery?

The short answer

Walking starts right away. Everything else comes back in stages over about twelve weeks. Your surgeon's limits come first, always. What follows is a general timeline, not a prescription.

A general timeline

Weeks 1 to 4. Walking only. Ten to twenty minutes, building gradually. No lifting, no straining, no impact.

Weeks 4 to 6. Light activity. Longer walks. Gentle stretching. A stationary bike on low resistance. Swimming once your incisions are healed and your doctor clears it.

Weeks 6 to 8. Moderate activity. Light weights, under twenty pounds. Putting and chipping. Easy elliptical or bike.

Weeks 8 to 12. A progressive return. Weights go up gradually. Full golf swing. Light jogging. Core work.

After 12 weeks. Full activity, as long as continence is improving and your doctor has cleared you.

The rule that covers everything

If an activity makes you leak, you are not ready for it yet.

That does not mean never. It means the pelvic floor needs more time. Drop back a level, keep training, and try again in a week or two.

Lifting and the gym

Lifting raises the pressure inside your abdomen. That pressure pushes down on the pelvic floor. If the pelvic floor cannot match it, you leak.

Start with machines, not free weights. Exhale on the effort. Never hold your breath. Squeeze the pelvic floor before every repetition.

Hold off on heavy squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses until you are consistently dry with lighter work. If you leak during an exercise, the weight is too heavy or the exercise is too advanced for now.

Golf

The swing puts a lot of rotational force through the core and pelvic floor. Putting and chipping come first, around week six. Half swings around week eight. Full swings around weeks ten to twelve.

Squeeze before you swing, every time. If you leak during the swing, you came back a step too soon.

Running

Running bounces the pelvic floor with every step. Wait until you can walk briskly for thirty minutes with very little leaking.

Then start with a walk and jog pattern. Walk five minutes, jog one. If you stay dry through the jog, lengthen it gradually over weeks. If you leak, go back to walking and keep doing your exercises.

Bad days are normal

Progress is not a straight line. Stress, poor sleep, and illness can all bring leaking back for a day or two. That is not the exercises failing.

If nothing has improved by about week eight, see a pelvic floor physical therapist. You may need someone to check that you are using the right muscles.

Keep reading

How to Stop Leaking After Prostate Surgery

Kegel Exercises After Prostate Surgery: How to Do Them Right

Exercises to Do Before Prostate Surgery

The First Week After Prostate Surgery: What to Expect

Recovery After Prostate Surgery: A Week-by-Week Guide

Pads for Men After Prostate Surgery: What to Buy and How to Leave the House

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Prostate Surgery: Do You Need It?

Kegel Exercises for Men: How to Do Them Right

Prostate Surgery Recovery: The Questions Men Ask

How Long Does Incontinence Last After Prostate Surgery?

About the author

Dr. Meg Cochran is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation, and treats men after prostate surgery through Where You Are Physical Therapy in Oxford, Mississippi.

This article is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for in-person care. Follow your surgical team's instructions. If you have urgent symptoms including severe pain, fever, unexpected bleeding, or a sudden change in function, contact your healthcare provider.