# Returning to fitness after prostatectomy
**URL:** https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878
**Category:** Training
**Created:** [June 27, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878 "2024-06-27T13:06:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/1 "2024-06-27T13:06:42Z")
Hola my lovelies,
Turns out I did have [prostate cancer after all](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/prostate-cancer/24667/65) - had a radical prostatectomy 6 weeks ago, all went well with the operation, and I’m recovering quickly, but the doctors advised between 3 and 6 months off the bike after the operation.
So am wondering about tips for returning to fitness carefully from here on out? I can walk 10k ok, not sure about jogging just yet. I also need to take it easy on lifting any weights over 5kg for the next couple of weeks, need to avoid excessively straining my pelvic area. Did a lot of Wahoo yoga before, but not sure whether it’s a good idea to start again. I already do a twice-weekly rehab sport session which is 40 mins of gentle aerobics/stretching (which I scoffed at being too easy, and then promptly had to sleep for 2 hours to recover 😂 ).
Grateful for any tips, ideas, suggestions, experiences.
PS: I’m pretty sure that having done a lot of Sufferfest and yoga before the operation meant that I have been able to recover very quickly - thanks Wahoo and you lovely lot.
Photo is from my hospital bed - sneakily timed my prostatectomy to coincide with the Giro d’Italia 🇮🇹 🏴
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### Author:  [@Glen.Coutts](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Glen.Coutts)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/2 "2024-06-27T17:36:50Z")
I’m always amazed at what some people will do to shave a few grams 😉
Seriously though, I have no advice. Just wishes for your recovery to be speedy and uneventful!
Watch out for these folks though. They can be sneaky…
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/3 "2024-06-27T18:03:14Z")
A whopping 41 grams saving 🤣
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### Author:  [@Glen.Coutts](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Glen.Coutts)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/4 "2024-06-27T18:07:18Z")
You’re clearly a weight weanie 😉
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### Author:  [@Blank](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Blank)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/5 "2024-07-02T17:45:32Z")
I had the dubious pleasure of a prostatectomy aged 51.
I’d very half-heartedly trained for a half marathon a month before surgery, and was told by my team that I could run again at 4 weeks, which I did. 12 weeks later I ran another competitive half twelve minutes faster than the first.
Just do not try riding a bike for at least three months. It will hurt …
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/6 "2024-07-02T18:07:59Z")
That’s great to hear, thanks! I will try running, very gently and short distances, this week. That will be 7 weeks after the op.
And your experience helps me feel ok about not rushing to get back on the bike. Might give it a full 6 months rest.
My bikes all already have Selle SMP with the some of the largest cut outs so that the prostate area has zero contact with the saddle, but still…
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### Author:  [@Blank](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Blank)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/7 "2024-07-02T18:25:51Z")
TBF I did not have a great saddle, but my experience is that even with a good one I’d still have endured more pain than reasonable.
In two weeks I am cycling London-Amsterdam in 24 hours on my 65th birthday …
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### Author:  [@emacdoug](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/emacdoug)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/8 "2024-07-03T16:00:39Z")
> [@Glen.Coutts](#):
>
> weight weanie
Prostate surgery… weight weenie…
There’s a good dad joke in there somewhere (or maybe some silly adolescent humor).
But I know I have some stiff competition in this forum in the joke dept. maybe someone else can stitch one together.
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### Author:  [@Glen.Coutts](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Glen.Coutts)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/9 "2024-07-03T16:04:04Z")
> [@emacdoug](#):
>
> stiff competition
hehe
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/10 "2024-07-03T17:12:54Z")
It also turned out that, for me, my prostate cancer is a unending - you could say bottomless - source of joke material, and finding the funny aspect (and making my friends squirm when over-sharing the graphic details) along my journey has definitely helped my mental health. And for us blokes, often humour is the easiest way to talk openly about difficult (you could say hard) topics.
Nowadays, prostate cancer has a very high survival rate, I think \>98% for 5 year survival, and so it’s not necessarily such a life threatening condition as it used to be. But still, my experience has reminded me of one of my favourite quotes:
_It really seems to me that in the midst of great tragedy, there is always the horrible possibility that something terribly funny will happen._
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2024, 9:40am UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/11 "2024-07-10T09:40:50Z")
Small update:
- started Abi’s beginners yoga again last week, this is excellent - I can feel my lack of flexibility and strength since the operation, but it’s a painless way of improving again…
- did my first jog this week (7.5 weeks since the operation) and it was (very) slow but no pain
- did my first 5 minute swim this week, also slow but no pain
- based on feedback here and elsewhere will stay off the bike until 1.1.2025
- more importantly, my first PSA test following the operation indicates that the cancer is now gone. More tests over the following months and years, but it’s the perfect start…
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### Author:  [@jmckenzieKOS](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/jmckenzieKOS)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/12 "2024-07-11T01:23:46Z")
1.1.2025 is a LONG time to be off the bike. I had a friend who had a prostatectomy and he was off the bike approximately six to eight weeks. I would continue to consult with your medical team and seek their advice, as did he, for when you should consider light riding indoors.
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2024, 8:18am UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/13 "2024-07-11T08:18:49Z")
Thanks. Yes, it is a long time, I hope I don’t forget how to do it, hopefully it’s just like riding a bike.
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### Author:  [@Heretic](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Heretic)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/14 "2024-07-11T14:31:38Z")
When you do get back on the bike, be gentle with yourself. Between the surgery, the recovery, your recuperation, and the lack of bike time, you will have lost a lot of fitness. You will get it back if you are careful.
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/15 "2024-10-13T16:11:28Z")
While waiting to ride again…
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### Author:  [@Glen.Coutts](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Glen.Coutts)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/16 "2024-10-13T18:19:50Z")
Congrats!
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### Author:  [@emacdoug](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/emacdoug)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/17 "2024-10-13T21:40:24Z")
Fantastic “recovery” race! 😄
💪
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### Author:  [@gwydion](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/gwydion)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/18 "2025-01-18T16:14:47Z")
Just to update this thread in case it’s useful for anyone going through something similar…
8 months after last being on a bike, I dialled my 4DP values down by 20% and, very carefully, climbed back in the saddle. And, so far, so good… no pain in the nether regions, just the bruised pride in being so unfit, but we all have to start somewhere…
And, it was a real delight doing the Sufferfest videos again, I’ve really missed them.
First plan is the Full Frontal prep, then training for the Wahoo Tour.
Good to be back 😀
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### Author:  [@pkdaylu](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/pkdaylu)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/returning-to-fitness-after-prostatectomy/25878/19 "2025-01-18T16:49:39Z")
> [@gwydion](#):
>
> Good to be back 😀
Excellent to have you back!