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If you are recovering from radiation you may be suffering
from fatigue, but there are no real restrictions on your
level of physical activity. If however, you are recovering
from surgery, you can expect to wait a few weeks before
you resume some of your regular activities. You should probably
wait a couple of weeks before driving and 4 to 6 weeks before
you resume activities such as golf, racquetball, tennis
or bowling. You should avoid activities such as cycling
and weightlifting for a full six weeks. This is as long
as it will take for your incision to fully heal.
Although you will be limited in some of your activities,
you do need to be up and active to recover your strength.
Probably the best exercise for building up your stamina
is walking. Start with frequent short walks (4 to 6 times
daily, even before you undergo treatment), increasing the
distance each day. You may walk on a treadmill if you like,
provided that you keep the level flat and the speed slow. |
Walking will build up your strength and reduce the risk
of blood clots that may result from surgery. It may be anywhere
between 4 to 8 weeks before you are feeling 100% physically.
It's important that you get the proper balance of exercise
and rest during this initial recovery phase. Let your doctor
help you to determine the proper amount of exercise for
you.
You may have heard of Kegel exercises. These are exercises
designed to increase urinary control following surgery.
Kegel exercises involve repeatedly tensing the muscles that
you would use to hold back urine or a bowel movement. For
more information on Kegel exercises visit the incontinence
section of The Prostate Centre. |
