Prostate cancer treatment is often thought of in terms of medical procedures like surgery, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), radiation, or chemotherapy. Yet the benefits of exercise for prostate cancer are increasingly recognized as an important complement, helping you:
- reduce your treatment side effects
- improve your quality of life
- enhance your mental health
- reduce or stop cancer progression
- extend your life.
Why exercise matters
There are many exercise benefits for prostate cancer patients. A major study found men who walk briskly for just 13 minutes a day had a 46% lower risk of dying from any cause (heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, ect.) compared to men who walk less or at a slower pace. In the same study, men who did 3 or more hours of vigorous exercise each week (think running, swimming, tennis) had a 61% lower risk of dying directly from prostate cancer.
These findings show how exercise helps prostate cancer management, not only by supporting treatment but also by giving you more control over your health.
How exercise helps
The role of exercise in prostate cancer care goes far beyond fitness. When you move your body, your muscles and hormone systems release powerful messengers called myokines, your body’s inbuilt cancer fighters. They reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and help suppress tumor growth.
Professor Robert Newton, a leading researcher in excercise oncology describes this process as remarkable.
“What we’re seeing is exercise doesn’t just make patients feel better, it creates biochemical changes in the body that actively fights cancer,” he said. “This is not just prevention or symptom management. This is direct suppression.”
Building muscle, managing weight
One of the key benefits of exercise for prostate cancer treatment is its ability to preserve muscle and prevent excess fat gain.
Muscle mass is closely linked to survival:
- Men who maintain or build muscle during treatment live longer, while excessive muscle loss reduces survival.
- Carrying too much body fat fuels inflammation and can worsen treatment side effects.
- and most concerning, a combination of low muscle and high fat known as sarcopenic obesity, is life threatening.
Exercise tackles these problems by preserving muscle and reducing excess fat.
Benefits of Exercise Across Different Stages of Care
The role of exercise in prostate cancer care applies across the entire journey:
- Active Surveillance: Slows disease progression, lowers PSA levels, and creates a tumor-suppressing environment.
- Androgen Deprivation Therapy: Counters fatigue, muscle and bone loss, weight gain, and heart risks. Impact-loading activities like hopping or light jumping are particularly important for bone strength.
- Advanced Prostate Cancer: Safe, tailored programs improve mobility, energy, and overall quality of life.
- Radiation Therapy: Increases blood flow to tumors, helping radiation treatments work more effectively.
Irrespective off what stage of the journey you are on, exercise and prostate cancer treatment should go hand in hand.
How much exercise is enough?
The exercise benefits for prostate cancer patients are strongest when activity is consistent. General guidelines recommend:
- 150 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (like running or swimming), or a combination of the two.
- Two or more strength training sessions targeting major muscle groups like squats, wall push-ups, or bands, or light dumbbell exercises.
- Break up long periods of sitting – stand, stretch, or take short walks throughout the day.
- Start small and build gradually – even 5-10 minute sessions have benefits and can be increased over time.
- Spread exercise across the week for steady benefits, 15-20 minutes most days.
If you are unsure about your needs, talk to your care team. They can advise or refer you to a health care provider trained in Exercise Oncology (Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist, Personal Trainer) who can tailor safe exercise program for you.
Getting started with brisk walking
The easy way to get started is with brisk walking which is simply walking with purpose. It’s faster than a casual stroll, but not so fast that it feels like a run. You’ll notice your breathing and heart rate increase. You should be able to hold a conversation, but singing would be difficult.
After a few minutes, you may feel slightly out of breath and start to break a light sweat. These are good signs that your body is working, your blood is flowing more freely, and you’re getting the health benefits of moderate-intensity exercise.
Taking charge through movement
Exercise and prostate cancer treatment belong together. If you are navigating this disease, the benefits of exercise for prostate cancer are too important to ignore. By staying active, you not only improve how you feel each day but also improve your quality of life, reduce treatment side effects, keep you independent, and significantly improve your long-term survival.
“It’s never too late to start,” says Dr. Kenfield. “Exercise is simple, accessible, and puts men back in the driver’s seat of their health.”
Keep moving.