Is It Safe for Men With Prostate Cancer to Exercise?

To ensure your safety, it's important to exercise to your ability and get advice from a healthcare provider before starting any new fitness program. Some exercises are safer than others during prostate cancer treatment.

Exercise isn't just for strengthening muscles and preventing weight gain. Research is finding that exercise is helpful for prostate cancer in many ways.

Fewer Treatment Side Effects

Lower Risk for Anxiety and Depression

Better Quality of Life

Improved Survival

One of the biggest advantages to staying active during prostate cancer treatment is that exercise might help you live longer. “There's quite a bit of evidence available to suggest that exercising after diagnosis can help with reducing prostate cancer–specific mortality and also all-cause mortality — dying specifically because of the cancer or for other reasons,” says Adriana M. Coletta, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Exercise is generally safe. Most people can do light- to moderate-intensity activities without any problems, other than some mild muscle soreness afterward, says Kerri Winters-Stone, PhD, Penny and Phil Knight Endowed Professor in Cancer Research Innovation at the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

But for men with advanced prostate cancer, it’s important to get medical clearance before starting any new fitness program, as hormone therapy for prostate cancer can weaken bones. Also, if the cancer has spread to the spine or hip, the bones may be too weak for certain types of exercise. “Exercise can still be safe, but it might require more precautions and supervision,” says Dr. Winters-Stone.

Aerobic Exercise

The benefits of aerobic exercise include weight management, fatigue reduction, and improvements in heart and lung health, says Winters-Stone.

Strength Training

Benefits include building bone and muscle strength and fall prevention, says Winters-Stone.

“Incorporating activities like yoga or tai chi can also help improve flexibility, balance, and mobility, which are especially important for fall prevention,” says Jessica Scott, PhD, an exercise physiologist and head of the Exercise Oncology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

There aren't many exercises that need to be avoided when you have prostate cancer. Light- to moderate-intensity activity should be safe for most people.

The sooner after your diagnosis you start exercising, the better. Staying active can help you maintain muscle and bone strength and prevent other treatment side effects, says Scott

Once you have clearance to exercise from your doctor, “Start low and go slow,” Winters-Stone says. ”Doing too much too fast increases the risk of injury and has no added benefit.”

Begin by walking or doing other light- to moderate-intensity exercises for 10 to 15 minutes per day. Slowly increase the length and intensity of your workouts until you're able to do 30 to 45 minutes on most days of the week. An exercise physiologist can personalize an exercise program that's safe and effective for you based on your age, fitness level, and treatment stage, says Scott.

Listen to your body during workouts. “Let your body guide you on what you're able to do, especially in the beginning as you get started on a program,” suggests Dr. Coletta.

• Exercise has many benefits during prostate cancer treatment, including reduced side effects like fatigue and muscle weakness, and improved quality of life and survival.
• Experts recommend a combination of aerobic, strength-training, and flexibility exercises for people with cancer.
• Start a new exercise program slowly after getting advice from your doctor and a physical therapist or exercise physiologist.