Every Step Forward: How Physical Activity Helped Me Through Prostate Cancer — By Ian Taylor
When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer on 1 March 2024, I knew the road ahead would be challenging. With surgery booked for December 2024, I understood that a radical prostatectomy would be a major hurdle. Like many men, I hoped the operation would mark the end of my cancer journey. Unfortunately, rising PSA levels after surgery revealed that further treatment was needed. I was offered salvage radiotherapy alongside androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), commonly known as hormone therapy.
Each stage of treatment brought its own physical and emotional challenges. However, one thing remained constant throughout my recovery: physical activity.
Preparing for Surgery: The Importance of Prehabilitation
Before my operation, I was already physically active, and I used that fitness as a form of prehabilitation, or “prehab”. Prehab involves preparing your body before a significant event such as surgery to improve recovery and maximise your health outcomes.
Alongside walking, running, gym sessions and maintaining a healthy diet, I focused on daily pelvic floor exercises. Strengthening these muscles before surgery gave me the best possible chance of regaining continence quickly afterwards.
Looking back, this preparation proved invaluable.
Taking the First Steps After Surgery
In the days immediately following my prostatectomy, movement became an essential part of recovery. Just four hours after surgery, I was encouraged to get out of bed and walk around the ward.
Those first walks were short and slow, but every additional step represented progress.
Walking helps improve circulation, reduces the risk of blood clots and gradually rebuilds strength. Just as importantly, it restores confidence.
Within a couple of weeks, I was walking a mile each day, despite still experiencing urinary incontinence and needing pads. It was uncomfortable at times, but I followed the advice given by my medical team: avoid lifting or straining for 12 weeks, pace yourself and listen to your body.
Learning to balance rest with gentle movement allowed me to recover steadily. By week four, I was able to begin a programme of alternating running and walking. My continence continued to improve and, after eight weeks, I was completely dry and no longer required pads.
An Unexpected Setback
Following surgery, I was hopeful that the cancer had been successfully removed. However, my first post-operative PSA blood test brought disappointing news. My PSA level remained above the expected level after prostatectomy, indicating that cancer cells were still present.
I was referred to oncology and offered salvage radiotherapy alongside two years of ADT.
Accepting that further treatment was necessary after believing surgery had been successful was a difficult challenge both physically and emotionally.
Keeping Moving Through Radiotherapy
I required 33 radiotherapy treatment sessions over six and a half weeks.
Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy and often builds gradually throughout treatment. There were days when it would have been easy to stay indoors and rest completely. Yet research consistently shows that moderate physical activity can help reduce fatigue rather than worsen it.
Even on days when motivation was low, I found that getting outside for a walk left me feeling physically stronger and mentally more resilient.
The Challenge of Hormone Therapy
Of all my treatments, hormone therapy has been one of the toughest.
ADT works by lowering testosterone levels to help prevent prostate cancer from growing and spreading. It is often given before and during radiotherapy to weaken cancer cells and improve treatment effectiveness.
However, the side effects can be significant. They may include:
- Persistent fatigue
- Muscle loss
- Weight gain
- Reduced bone density
- Hot flushes
- Low mood
- Loss of motivation
In my case, I experienced all of them.
This is where exercise became even more important.
Regular resistance training helps preserve muscle mass and strength. Weight-bearing exercise protects bone health, while aerobic activity supports cardiovascular fitness and helps manage weight gain.
Physical activity also improves sleep, reduces fatigue and boosts mood through the release of endorphins.
More Than Physical Recovery
Prostate cancer affects far more than the body. It can become a mental battle filled with uncertainty, frustration and anxiety.
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Exercise gave me something that cancer could not take away: a sense of control.
Every walk, run and workout reminded me that I still had the ability to make positive choices for my health and wellbeing.
Physical activity became much more than fitness — it became therapy.
The evidence shows that regular physical activity can:
- Improve recovery after surgery
- Reduce urinary incontinence
- Combat cancer-related fatigue
- Help manage the side effects of salvage radiotherapy
- Reduce muscle loss and weight gain during ADT
- Protect bone density and heart health
- Improve mood, confidence and overall quality of life
The Power of Community
My journey continues today and staying active remains a central part of my life.
Every Saturday, I take part in Parkrun 5K events. I also attend Men Walking and Talking groups in Wednesfield and Bloxwich on Wednesdays and Fridays.
These activities are no longer about achieving personal bests. Instead, they are about celebrating what I can still do and appreciating the opportunity to keep moving.
Just as importantly, these groups provide valuable social connection. Sharing experiences with people who understand your journey can be incredibly powerful.
Learning to Focus on What I Can Control
Throughout my cancer journey, I have found strength in Stoic philosophy.
One quote from Marcus Aurelius has become particularly meaningful:
“What stands in the way becomes the way.”
I cannot control the fact that I have prostate cancer. What I can control is how I respond to it — through my thoughts, actions and mindset.
Stoicism has helped me navigate the psychological challenges of diagnosis and treatment. It has also taught me that it is okay not to be okay and that talking openly about struggles is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Support organisations such as Wolverhampton’s Prostate Cancer Support Group and Men Walking and Talking have been invaluable sources of encouragement and understanding.
Cancer has changed me, but it has not defined me.
Recovery is not measured by how quickly you return to normal. It is measured by your determination to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
I have learned to listen to my body, acknowledge my limitations and continue pushing forward when I can. I may not be able to perform at the same level I did before surgery, but prostate cancer, radiotherapy and hormone therapy will not define who I am.
As Marcus Aurelius also wrote:
“A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials.”
Every Step Counts
Whether you are taking your first walk after surgery, undergoing radiotherapy, or managing the long-term effects of hormone therapy, remember this:
Every step counts. Every walk matters. Every effort is an investment in your future.
The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote:
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labour does the body.”
My prostate cancer journey has taught me that while treatment may test the body, movement helps restore body, mind and spirit.
Keep moving — because every step forward is a victory. Keep on keeping on.
