This will be individual; however, we recommend approximately 2-3 sessions pre-op to begin and work on the pre-habilitation exercises. We may see you weekly in this phase, to ensure you are working on the right muscles, and have a true sense of the programme prior to the operation. 

During your post-operative rehabilitation, we begin with comprehensive strategies such as pad weight monitoring, a proven method to help you gradually reduce your reliance on pads in the most scientific way possible. As you progress to stage two, we will focus on strengthening and increasing the speed of your pelvic floor muscles. The number of sessions required will vary depending on factors like surgical technique, pre-surgery function, and your body's natural healing process, typically ranging from 2 to 10 sessions held fortnightly to allow time for implementing and observing changes. 

Once you have regained continence and confidence in your recovery, we will move to phase three, incorporating pelvic floor strengthening with functional movements to help train your brain to activate these muscles during daily activities like sitting, standing, or squatting. This helps make these movements automatic, marking the final stage of recovery, where your pelvic floor muscles engage naturally in everyday tasks, ensuring long-term continence. Jack will expertly guide you on when it is safe to resume your regular exercise routine, providing personalized advice and support to help you return to your training program with confidence. 

In-between sessions you will be working on your individualised training programme, bespoke to the phase of rehabilitation you are in.  The level of intensity of the exercises will vary daily, however you will be required to work on the programme daily to see optimal results.  You can reach out to Jack via email at any time throughout your recovery if you have any questions regarding the programmes.

No equipment will be required to within the first two stages, it will be all done through advice and guidance and through ‘coaching cues’ to help you activate the right pelvic floor muscles. When we progress to stage three, Jack will recommend certain exercises for you to do that may require either a dumb-bell, kettlebell or resistance band.

You will have the urinary catheter in for 10 days post-op, therefore you will not want to do the pelvic floor exercises as it will be too uncomfortable. So, we say to resume the exercises once the catheter is out. Please re-start the phase 1 exercise programme, and then on our first appointment post-op we will go through the next phase of the programme.

There are a lot of factors at play that will determine your recovery post-prostatectomy. This includes surgical technique and skill level of the surgeon, the base-line level of pelvic floor and core musculature prior to the operation, as well as your own body's ability to heal. As everybody is individual, recovery post-prostatectomy can vary from anywhere between 8 weeks – 6 months. There are precautions in place for six weeks, such as no heavy lifting over 5kg, this is due to risk of incisional hernias. Additionally, it takes six weeks for soft tissue healing to take place, therefore it is likely you will be incontinent for the first couple of weeks after the operation, which is down to inflammation and weakness of the autonomic internal sphincter muscles that have been severed and stitched back to the bladder to compensate for the prostate removal. We therefore recommend you take it easy for the first six weeks, and then we are there to help you build back up supersede your baseline level of fitness and help you reach your goals again!