Yoga guide
Yoga can't treat prostate cancer, but it may help with some of the ways treatment makes you feel. In one small trial during radiotherapy, men who did yoga twice a week reported less tiredness and better erection scores, though urinary symptoms were no different. Only four small studies exist, so yoga goes alongside your treatment, the exercise your team recommends and your pelvic floor exercises, never instead of them.
This guide covers what the studies found, yoga during radiotherapy and on hormone therapy, the pelvic floor and leaking after surgery, erections, looking after your bones, cancer in the bones and the warning signs that need help. It ends with a free 30-minute class that builds in the pelvic floor squeeze and leaves out deep folds and twists. If you came here about an enlarged prostate, which isn't cancer, our yoga for an enlarged prostate guide is the one you need.
Go at your own pace. Some days a class will suit you, and some days rest is the right choice.
No study has shown that yoga, or any exercise, slows prostate cancer. Yoga goes alongside surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and your team's advice, never instead of them, and nobody's cancer or side effects come from not doing enough yoga.
About 130 men in total have taken part in yoga studies in prostate cancer, all at single hospitals, with nobody blinded and short follow-up. The only review says "it would be premature to draw definitive conclusions".
In 50 men having radiotherapy, twice-weekly yoga classes went with less tiredness and better erection scores than no yoga, but urinary symptoms didn't differ. It was one small trial, with results given only as P values.
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NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends supervised strength and aerobic exercise at least twice a week for 12 weeks for men starting or having hormone therapy, to ease tiredness and improve quality of life. No yoga trial has been done in men on hormone therapy, so yoga sits alongside that exercise (our reading).
NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor training for at least 3 months for leaking after prostate surgery. Yoga can carry the squeeze, but no trial has shown yoga itself improves leaking, and how much any exercise adds to natural recovery is still uncertain.
Hormone therapy can thin bones, so bend from your hips with a straight back rather than rounding, and twist gently. If the cancer has spread to your bones, new or worse back pain and other signs of spinal cord compression need help straight away: see the warning signs below.
Treatment may be monitoring, surgery to remove the prostate, radiotherapy or hormone therapy, often in combination. The NHS says treatments "can also cause side effects, which can be serious and long-lasting", including problems having or keeping an erection. Our exercise with prostate cancer guide covers the treatments in more detail.
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Prostate Cancer UK says hormone therapy can make you feel extremely tired, and that most men having radiotherapy get tired too; it usually improves a few weeks after treatment ends but can take up to a year. NICE says tiredness on hormone therapy is a recognised side effect and might not be because of the cancer.
Hot flushes are a common side effect of hormone therapy, and stress, hot drinks or a change in temperature can set them off. Macmillan says you may gain weight, especially around the middle, and lose muscle strength. Prostate Cancer UK suggests gentle resistance exercise, such as light weights or bands, to keep your muscles strong.
Testosterone helps keep bones strong, so long-term hormone therapy may thin them, and severe thinning (osteoporosis) makes broken bones more likely.
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After a prostatectomy, a thin tube (a catheter) drains your bladder for about seven to ten days. Most men can't control their bladder properly when it first comes out, and leaks often happen with effort: when you exercise, cough or sneeze. Recovering can take some time.
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Prostate Cancer UK says surgery often causes erection problems; many men find they improve with time and treatment, but it can take a few months to a few years. It also says there's no right or wrong way to deal with changes to your sex life, and that the NHS can prescribe treatments for erection problems for free.
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Bowel problems can start during radiotherapy and may continue for a few weeks afterwards, or start months or years later. Pelvic floor exercises may also help with bowel control, Prostate Cancer UK says.
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The pelvic floor muscles act as a sling under the bladder and bowel, help you control when you wee or empty your bowels, and help with erections. When you tighten the right muscles, you should feel a dip at the base of your penis and your scrotum move up a little.
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During radiotherapy: twice-weekly 75-minute classes of 4 to 8 men, with seated, standing and lying poses adapted with props. Before surgery: 60 minutes twice a week, opening with breathing and pelvic floor awareness. A third of men in the radiotherapy pilot couldn't come often enough because class times clashed with treatment.
Our reading: a class combines gentle strength, movement, breathing and relaxation, so any effect on tiredness or mood could come from being active, relaxing or the group. No trial has tested which part matters.
Four small studies of yoga in prostate cancer, about 130 men; the stronger evidence is for supervised exercise and pelvic floor training. Counts are approximate and depend on the review.
In Philadelphia, 68 men with early prostate cancer were randomised to twice-weekly yoga classes through 6 to 9 weeks of radiotherapy or no yoga; 18 dropped out, mostly because of clashes with treatment times, leaving 50. The yoga group reported less tiredness (P<.0001) and better erection scores (P=.0333), but no difference in urinary symptoms. Results were given only as P values, follow-up ended with radiotherapy, and a Cochrane review rated the trial at high risk of bias. No side effects from yoga were reported.
In 29 men waiting for a prostatectomy, yoga twice a week showed a statistically nonsignificant trend towards better sexual function, tiredness and quality of life. Men kept coming before surgery but mostly stopped after it. Its blood immune findings are exploratory.
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A radiotherapy pilot of 15 men and a 7-week programme for 15 survivors found yoga feasible, but neither had a comparison group, and the survivors' study found no clinically important change in quality of life or tiredness.
A 2024 review of 5 studies and 129 men said yoga has the potential to help erections, tiredness and urinary symptoms, though the main trial found no difference in urinary symptoms, and it said firm conclusions would be premature.
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The 2025 Cochrane review (21 trials, 2,041 people, 17 trials only in women with breast cancer and one in prostate cancer) found yoga after treatment probably eases tiredness a little in the short term, on moderate-certainty evidence; during treatment, the effect is very uncertain. Its authors say it's unclear whether the benefits would be similar in other cancers.
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No yoga trial has been done in men on hormone therapy, and no trial of yoga started after a prostatectomy has reported. Two completed yoga trials in prostate cancer (92 and 45 men) are registered but unpublished. A large yoga trial often quoted for cancer survivors was 96% women, so it tells us little about men.
Across 18 trials (1,477 men on hormone therapy), supervised exercise improved prostate cancer quality of life and walking, on moderate-certainty evidence. Its effect on tiredness is small. A 2026 analysis of 41 trials found combined aerobic and strength exercise best for quality of life.
A review of 16 trials (1,574 men at all stages) found exercise eased cancer-related tiredness and improved fitness and leg strength, but found no evidence of benefit for how the cancer progressed or for sexual function. No deaths were caused by exercise.
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In the radiotherapy trial, no side effects from yoga were reported. Prostate Cancer UK says pelvic floor exercises are safe during and after radiotherapy.
The commonest reason men stopped coming was a clash with treatment times, so a short home practice may suit you better than a fixed class. Go by how tired you feel on the day, not the class plan (our suggestion).
In 121 men having radiotherapy, both strength training and aerobic exercise eased tiredness in the short term.
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If your skin is irritated, check with your doctor or nurse before swimming, as chlorine can make it worse, Prostate Cancer UK says. Skip hot yoga rooms during treatment (our suggestion).
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NICE: "Offer people who are starting or having androgen deprivation therapy supervised resistance and aerobic exercise at least twice a week for 12 weeks to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life." Prostate Cancer UK adds that gentle resistance exercise with light weights or bands is particularly good on hormone therapy. Ask your team about a programme near you.
Prostate Cancer UK lists yoga among exercises that build muscle and strength, alongside bodyweight exercises and Pilates. Use it as one part of an active week: standing strength poses and the pelvic floor work on class days, walking and the supervised strength work on others, and a gentle class on tired days.
NICE says to tell people "that there is no good-quality evidence for the use of complementary therapies to treat troublesome hot flushes". Prostate Cancer UK suggests calming breathing, meditation or yoga to reduce stress, which can set flushes off, and a cool room and a fan. So yoga may help with stress, not as a treatment for flushes.
Across 18 trials, exercise on hormone therapy eased tiredness a little, more when it started straight away. Prostate Cancer UK says exercise might be the last thing you feel like doing when you're tired, but it can make a difference.
Hospitals give different timings: your own surgical team's advice comes first.
Your surgeon may suggest a short walk each day from the day after your operation. Prostate Cancer UK says to avoid heavy physical exercise for the first four to six weeks, and lifting heavy objects or manual work for eight weeks.
Don't do pelvic floor exercises while you have a catheter in; start as soon as it has been removed. Keep to walking and gentle seated movement until then (our suggestion).
Our suggestion: once the catheter is out and your team agrees, start with seated breathing, the pelvic floor squeeze and standing poses, and leave planks, boat pose and other moves that load your tummy until you're not leaking with them. The NHS says sit-ups and high-impact exercise put pressure on the pelvic floor and can increase leaks.
Start 4 to 6 weeks before surgery if you can, so you know how to do them; afterwards, start once the catheter is out. They're safe during and after radiotherapy.
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Tighten the muscles strongly before and during anything that makes you leak, such as getting up from a chair, lifting, bending, coughing or sneezing. In yoga, that means squeezing just before you stand up or lift into a pose (our reading).
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NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor training for at least 3 months for leaking after prostate surgery. But most men's leaking improves over time whatever they do: in one Cochrane review, 57% of men still leaking after surgery who trained were leaking a year later, against 62% who didn't. The newest Cochrane review (25 trials, 3,079 men) says the value of these treatments "remains uncertain".
Prostate Cancer UK says some types of exercise, such as Pilates and yoga, may also help strengthen the pelvic floor, but no trial has shown that yoga improves leaking after surgery, and in the radiotherapy trial yoga made no difference to urinary symptoms. Do your squeezes on purpose, in yoga and on their own.
NICE says men with troublesome urinary symptoms after treatment should have access to specialist continence services, which could include pelvic floor muscle re-education. Prostate Cancer UK says that if you still leak six to twelve months after surgery and the exercises haven't helped, there are treatments that might help.
From Prostate Cancer UK's pelvic floor routine. The move page's dose: "Start with 8 slow holds of up to 10 seconds and 8 quick squeezes, three times a day, and build towards 10 of each".
See the movement on the 3D figure: Pelvic floor exercise (Kegel)
In the radiotherapy trial, erection scores were better with yoga (P=.0333), in one trial of 50 men. Before surgery, the difference in sexual function wasn't statistically significant. Yoga isn't a treatment for erection problems.
NICE says men should have access to specialist erectile dysfunction services after radical treatment and when starting hormone therapy. Prostate Cancer UK says some men find pelvic floor exercises help with erections, and that the NHS can prescribe treatments for free. Talk to your team: it's a common question, and there's no right or wrong way to feel about it.
Prostate Cancer UK says it isn't yet known whether exercise can help prevent bone thinning on hormone therapy, but regular exercise may help keep you strong and prevent falls that could break bones. In a review of 9 trials, none measured falls or fractures, and another review found exercise programmes on their own aren't enough to protect bones on hormone therapy.
NICE asks doctors to consider assessing your fracture risk on hormone therapy and to offer bone medicines called bisphosphonates if you have osteoporosis, though not routinely to prevent it.
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The Royal Osteoporosis Society says exercises like sit-ups, touching your toes and the roll-down in Pilates can put pressure on the spine, and to use the hip hinge instead: bend forward from your hips, keeping your back straight. It says balance exercises help keep you steady, and that exercise isn't a replacement for an osteoporosis medicine.
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In 57 men whose cancer had spread to the bones, supervised exercise planned around the affected bones caused no fractures or extra bone pain. Experts say exercise should take the bone lesions into account and be guided by trained staff. Ask your team which positions to avoid, leave out deep folds, deep twists and upside-down poses, and check with your doctor before high-impact exercise (our suggestion for the yoga poses).
Slow breathing: "At least 5 minutes, done regularly as part of your daily routine", in for about 4 and out for about 6; pelvic floor exercise: "Start with 8 slow holds of up to 10 seconds and 8 quick squeezes, three times a day", not while a catheter is in; pelvic floor relaxation: "5 to 10 slow breaths, 1 to 3 times a day", letting go fully after every squeeze (the move pages' doses).
Seated upper-back lift: "3 to 5 repetitions, each held 3 to 5 seconds"; breath reach: "5 breaths, exhale longer than inhale"; shoulder circles: "10 to 15 slow circles each way, once or twice through" (the move pages' doses). Cat-cow: 6 slow rounds, seated, keeping the rounding small (our gentle yoga for cancer class).
Mountain pose: "Stand for 5 to 10 slow breaths, 2 or 3 times", lifting the pelvic floor as you breathe out; hip hinge fold: "5 slow folds, 3 breaths at the bottom", stopping when your back starts to round (the move pages' doses). Chair pose, 3 holds of 5 breaths (our yoga for the pelvic floor class); warrior II, 3 to 5 breaths each side, and tree pose, 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds each side, a hand on the chair (our gentle yoga for cancer class). Sit to stand, 8 slow repetitions, squeezing just before you stand (our Pilates for men's pelvic floor class); wall push-up, 8 to 10, breathing out as you push (our heart failure exercises at home).
3D demoMountain pose (Tadasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHip hinge foldBeginner · No equipment
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wallOptional; skip it in the first weeks after surgery unless your team agrees. Pelvic tilt into bridge, 6 to 8 slow repetitions, squeezing on the way up and letting go at the bottom, only part of the way up with thin bones; locust, 3 holds of 3 breaths (our yoga for the pelvic floor class). Reclining bound angle: "Rest 2 to 5 minutes with a support under each thigh"; corpse pose: "Lie still for at least 5 minutes, up to 10, usually at the end of a session", with a blanket for warmth (the move pages' doses).
After surgery and while they bring on leaking, leave out boat pose and planks. With bone thinning or cancer in the bones, fold from the hips with a long back instead of deep forward folds, leave out plough, shoulder stand, headstand and wheel, and twist only gently, or not at all with cancer in the bones. Step rather than jump in sun salutations. Our suggestions, following Prostate Cancer UK, the Royal Osteoporosis Society and the moves' own cautions.
3D demoBoat pose (Navasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoStraight-arm plank (high plank)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoForearm plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoSeated forward fold (Paschimottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHead-to-knee pose (Janu Sirsasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWide-legged standing forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoPlow pose (Halasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSupported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSupported headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)Expert · A wall
3D demoWheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoHalf lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSupine spinal twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSun salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)Intermediate · No equipmentOur 30-minute class first, twice a week: seated breathing and the pelvic floor squeeze and release, a seated warm-up, standing strength at a chair with the squeeze before each effort, optional floor work and a supported rest, with no deep folds, twists or upside-down poses. Its structure is our own and untested, built on the studied classes. The gentle yoga for cancer class suits treatment days; the men's pelvic floor Pilates class and the daily pelvic floor workout carry the squeeze; the strength and balance workout is the kind of exercise NICE recommends on hormone therapy.
A 30-minute gentle yoga class for men with prostate cancer: breathing, the pelvic floor squeeze and release, standing strength at a chair and a supported rest.
30 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, wallA 25-minute gentle yoga class for during and after cancer treatment: slow breathing, seated loosening, standing poses with a chair and a long rest. No twists.
25 minBeginner14 movesBench or box, firm cushionA 20-minute men's pelvic floor Pilates class: find the squeeze and the release, then use it lying, seated and standing, for leaks after prostate surgery and erections.
20 minBeginner14 movesBench or box, something with weightA 5-minute daily pelvic floor workout for women and men: slow holds and quick squeezes, three times a day, with how to find the right muscles.
5 minBeginner2 movesNo equipmentStrength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.
45 minBeginner14 movesWall, dumbbellA 45-minute restorative yoga sequence: five fully supported poses held for 4 to 10 minutes each, with slow breathing and a long final rest.
45 minBeginner6 movesFirm cushion, wallA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentProstate Cancer UK suggests working up to 30 minutes of moderate exercise three to five days a week, with exercises that build muscle and strength. These plans give the week a structure (our suggestion).
A free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week workout plan for men over 50: three strength days with power and balance work, cardio and recovery, at the gym or at home, with a 4-day option.
3 training days45 minBeginnerThese are the warning signs from our yoga for cancer, exercise with prostate cancer and enlarged prostate guides, word for word, apart from the lines given as Prostate Cancer UK's words. Use the numbers your team gave you. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
Call 999 for:
Don't drive yourself to A&E. Call 999 or go to A&E now if:
After treatment, Prostate Cancer UK says this "needs treating straight away", and to make sure the hospital knows what treatment you've had.
Spinal cord compression is when cancer presses on the spinal cord. Contact the hospital team that treats you straight away, even at the weekend, and go to A&E if you can't reach anyone, if you have:
Contact your hospital team if:
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Get help from 111, or ask for an urgent GP appointment, if:
Prostate Cancer UK says blood in the urine can be "quite a common symptom of radiation cystitis" after radiotherapy, and to tell your doctor or nurse so they can check whether it's the treatment or an infection. The urgent line above still applies.
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In Prostate Cancer UK's words: bleeding from the back passage "isn't usually anything to worry about, but let your doctor, nurse or therapeutic radiographer know if it happens", and "If you notice any new changes in your bowel habits later on, speak to your GP or hospital team."
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Don't exercise if you feel unwell or have pain, sickness or other unusual symptoms, and stop if they start while you're exercising. Have new or worsening bone pain checked by your team before you carry on, and after a fall with pain or a new limp, get checked, as fractures are more likely on hormone therapy (our suggestion). Our cancer guide's warning signs list the signs of spinal cord compression, which needs help straight away.
Stop a pose that brings on leaking, heaviness, dragging, a bulge or pain, and make it smaller or leave it out. POGP says pain when you exercise the pelvic floor, or tummy or pelvic pain afterwards, needs advice from a specialist physiotherapist; meanwhile, stop adding squeezes and use the relaxation practice (our suggestion). For men's symptoms such as a weak flow or dribbling, see our pelvic floor exercises guide.
A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
Call 999 if:
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
No study has tested yoga against the cancer itself, and exercise in general hasn't been shown to slow it. The studies measured tiredness, erections, urinary symptoms and quality of life. Your treatment team treats the cancer.
The only data are exploratory blood tests in a pilot of 29 men whose main results weren't statistically significant.
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No trial has shown that yoga improves leaking after surgery, and in the radiotherapy trial yoga made no difference to urinary symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises are NICE's first offer, and most men's leaking improves over the first months whatever they do.
NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor training for men who leak after a prostatectomy, and Prostate Cancer UK gives men the steps.
NICE recommends supervised strength and aerobic exercise at least twice a week for 12 weeks on hormone therapy, and in 18 trials it improved quality of life.
NICE says there's no good-quality evidence for complementary therapies for hot flushes. Slow breathing may help with stress, which can set them off.
The studied classes used chairs, props and poses adapted to each man.
It may help with some side effects of treatment, but it doesn't treat the cancer. In one small trial during radiotherapy, men doing yoga twice a week reported less tiredness and better erections, though urinary symptoms didn't differ. Only four small studies exist, so yoga goes alongside your treatment and the exercise your team suggests.
Yes, if you feel up to it: the main trial's classes ran twice a week through 6 to 9 weeks of radiotherapy, with chairs and props, and no side effects from yoga were reported. Go by how tired you feel on the day, and check with your team before swimming if your skin is sore.
No yoga trial has been done in men on hormone therapy. NICE recommends supervised strength and aerobic exercise at least twice a week for 12 weeks to ease tiredness, and yoga can sit alongside it on other days. In other cancers, yoga eased tiredness a little after treatment.
Pelvic floor exercises are the first treatment NICE recommends, for at least 3 months. Yoga can carry the squeeze, by tightening before you stand or lift into a pose, but no trial has shown yoga itself improves leaking. Most men's leaking improves over the first months.
Short walks start straight away, and Prostate Cancer UK says to avoid heavy exercise for the first four to six weeks. Start pelvic floor exercises once the catheter is out, then add gentle seated and standing yoga when your team agrees.
In one small radiotherapy trial of 50 men, erection scores were better with yoga. Prostate Cancer UK says some men find pelvic floor exercises help, and the NHS can prescribe treatments for erection problems for free. Ask your team about specialist erectile dysfunction services.
After surgery, leave out planks, boat pose and heavy effort until your team agrees. On hormone therapy or with cancer in the bones, leave out deep forward folds, deep twists, headstands, shoulder stands and plough, and bend from your hips with a straight back.
Gentle exercise can be safe with the right support: in 57 men with cancer in the bones, supervised exercise planned around the affected bones caused no fractures. Ask your team which positions to avoid, and get new or worse back pain checked straight away.
It isn't known whether any exercise prevents bone thinning on hormone therapy. Staying strong and steady may help prevent falls that break bones, and your doctor may check your fracture risk.
There's no good evidence that complementary therapies, yoga included, treat hot flushes. Prostate Cancer UK suggests calming breathing, meditation or yoga to reduce stress, which can set them off, and a cool room.
The studies used classes twice a week. Twice a week alongside your walking, strength work and daily pelvic floor exercises is a sensible start, adjusting on tired days.
A gentle, beginners' or therapeutic class with a teacher who adapts poses suits most men; tell the teacher about your treatment. Our 30-minute class builds in the pelvic floor squeeze and leaves out deep folds and twists.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
