Is Walking Good for Prostatitis?

Prostatitis occurs more often than any other prostate disorder, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, affecting an estimated 8 million men in the United States. Sufferers of prostatitis report pain in the legs, lower back, around the anus and when sitting and standing.

Aerobic exercise such as walking can ease the pain of prostatitis. If you're in too much pain, several short walks a day can also be effective.

Aerobic Exercise

• In a double-blind randomized study on physical activity of men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, men experienced significant improvement after aerobic exercise.

  Researchers recruited 231 volunteers aged 20 to 50, who suffered from chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, that were healthy enough to moderately exercise and who had not responded to treatment.

  Participants were randomly split into two groups for the 18-week study. The first group performed aerobic exercises, while the other group performed typical stretching and movement exercises.

  The aerobic exercise group warmed up with some slow paced walking, and strengthening exercises, followed by a briskly paced walk of 40 minutes on a track, three times a week.

  The stretching/movement group exercised at the same intensity level, and were instructed in the proper way to perform the exercises.

  At the conclusion of the study, 75 percent of the aerobic exercise group completed the 18-week program, compared to 40 percent of the strengthening/movement group. Improvements in the aerobic exercise group were so significant, that researchers concluded that aerobic exercise should be investigated further as an appropriate treatment for chronic prostatitis /chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Simple Walks

• With so many people working at a computer for eight hours, and then going home to sit and watch television, we don't move around as much as we used to.

  Even if you're in too much pain to walk at a brisk pace, getting up from your desk and taking a short walk at least every half hour, can provide some relief from the pain of prostatitis. Take your lunch outside, and when you finish eating, walk around the building or parking lot.

  It's easy to incorporate extra steps into your day. Park further away from your destination, and walk the rest of the way. Your dog enjoys going for a walk, and breathing some fresh air, so you can enjoy exercising together. The more you move, the less pain you'll have from prostatitis, and the happier your life will be.