How Did Al Roker Pull Off Remarkable Health Reversal– NBC Weatherman Reaches 60 Day Workout Streak

Alongside two screenshots from a health app on his mobile phone, Roker informed his followers about his new accomplishment, writing, “A year ago, I was struggling after getting home from the hospital.

“This week marks 60 days in a row of 10k+ steps a day. Been a long road with a lot of folks helping me along the way. @debrobertsabc and @cleilapatra leading the charge.”

The shared images showed his impressive increase in steps, as he compared the past 60 days to last year at this time showing.

Last year, on December 14, Roker only walked about 1,262 steps, and he slowly worked his way up to 5,083 steps, which is equivalent to two miles, on December 19, the Dec. 2022 screenshot showed.

This year, throughout the past 60 days, Roker has walked 10,000 plus steps a day, with the most steps in one day being 15,161.

His most recent walk appears to be 12,274 steps and 20 flights climbed, totaling a whopping 4.7 miles.

Replying to a comment on whether he wears a pocket watch or an Apple watch, Roker said, “I do. Digital and analog.”

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A post shared by Al Roker (@alroker)

Dozens of Roker’s fans took to the comments to praise the weatherman for being consistent with his workouts and focusing on his health, with one writing, “Very impressive. I don’t know how you find the time!”

Another commented, “That’s such an accomplishment!! Especially with all the other great work you do all day! You are loved by so many millions of people!”

“So motivating to others going through the same struggle. Thank you for inspiring us all and keep it up!” wrote a third.

Roker has occasionally been sharing videos from his long walks on Instagram, often sharing helpful advice to his fans.

He captioned a video shared earlier this month, “Thanks to @real_simple article, there’s some great science behind the befit of walking.

“So @starttoday_ family, let’s get up a little earlier and get this steps in BEFORE you start your day. And as you know, everyday should start with @todayshow.”

In the footage, as Roker aims the camera on his face while he walks, he explains, “So, Deborah sent me an article. It was in Real Simple magazine and it’s all about walking and it said,  ‘Walk when you wake up. One hour, our circadian clock, sensitive to light about one hour after waking.'”

“So you activate yourself, you get yourself moving, and while your body is still in fasting mode, it says you burn more fat, improves how your body responds to insulin, cuts the risk of type two diabetes and heart disease. All that because you put your walk in first thing in the morning,” Roker concluded before urging his followers to wake up early and walk.

Al Roker’s Prostate Cancer Battle

It’s wonderful to see Al Roker working hard to maintain his fitness goals, after who suffering from blood clots last year and being previously diagnosed with prostate cancer after almost delaying a doctor’s appointment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Al Roker Breaks Down In Tears As His “Today” Colleagues Show Up At His House To Cheer Him Up: “It’s Been A Long, Hard Slog”

“It’s a good news-bad news kind of thing,” Roker told “TODAY.” “Good news is we caught it early. Not great news is that it’s a little aggressive, so I’m going to be taking some time off to take care of this.”

He shared the news of his diagnosis on the “TODAY” show in November 2020 and explained that he would be having surgery.

“My first reaction was, ‘I just want this out. I don’t want to do radiation,'” Roker previously told SurvivorNet of the prostate cancer that was growing inside his body.

“At the end of the day, I thought, ‘surgery first,’ then I thought, ‘no, maybe radiation,’ then I went back and (said), ‘no, surgery.’ That was that. Once I make a decision, I don’t really second guess it.”

RELATED: “I Just Want This Out”: Cancer Survivor Al Roker, Tells SurvivorNet About His Decision to Have Surgery, the Risk for Black Men & that His Sexual Function After Cancer is “Working Fine”

His procedure took place in November 2020 and resulted in the removal of his prostate and some surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. This type of surgery, a radical prostatectomy, is known to effect a man’s sexual function since it requires removing the seminal vesicles.

“There really was no pain,” Roker said on how he felt post-operation. “The biggest issue, obviously, is sexual function, and there’s treatment for that. I’m happy to say everything’s working fine.”

The biggest issue for Roker actually came during surgical recovery.

“To be honest, the hardest part really, there’s a little incontinence (loss of bladder control) to begin with that eventually goes away to me,” he said. “The hardest part was that initial week after surgery where you’re wearing a catheter (a soft tube that drains urine from the bladder). But even that was not onerous, it’s just a little inconvenient, but you know that it’s temporary.”

WATCH: Preserving Sexual Function After Surgery Depends On Several Factors

Since then, Roker has been given consistent “all-clears,” though he’ll be doing lifelong testing to make sure the cancer does not return.

And even Roker’s cancer surgery was not the first time he had a major operation for the sake of his health. In 2002, Roker, who had long struggled with his weight, opted to have gastric bypass surgery to drastically limit his food consumption. Since that surgery and his continued efforts to live a healthy life, he’s lost over 100 pounds.

PSA Screening for Cancer

Since beating cancer, Roker has continued to urge men to undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, which check for prostate cancer. These tests seek out PSA in the bloodstream, which could reveal whether someone has prostate cancer.

RELATED: Staggeringly Higher Prostate Cancer Rates for Black Men

Anyone with a family history of prostate cancer is urged to start the cancer screening process earlier than the average recommended age. Currently, men with an average prostate cancer risk are advised to start getting screened at 50 years old. Those more likely to get prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40 or 45.

Laparoscopic Surgery vs. Traditional Open Surgery: What’s the Best Choice for Prostate Cancer?

Urologic oncologist at Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Edwin Posadas, says it’s important to notify your doctor about your risk factor, such as having a family history of prostate cancer.

He tells SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “We know as doctors that there are certain men who are at high risk for having prostate cancer. Men of African descent, for example, fall immediately into a high-risk category.

“Men whose fathers or brothers had prostate cancer are at two to three times the risk of the general man living in America of having prostate cancer. Those pieces of information are critical to bring forward in an examination when you’re seeing your doctor.”

There’s No One Definitive Symptom for Prostate Cancer, But There Are Clues

Meanwhile, a new study published in European Urology recently identified nine new genetic risk factors for prostate cancer, seven of those markers being found largely or exclusively in men of African ancestry. It was reportedly the largest genetic study of prostate cancer in men of African descent.

So it’s important to talk to your doctor about your unique history and risk factors for prostate cancer. It’s always best to talk with them about the right course of action and always advocate for your health, going into every doctor’s appointment with a plan of action.

Roker told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that finding the right health advocate for you is key when facing a cancer battler, “My message is to try to find the advocate you need, the help you need. Don’t take no for an answer, and know that there are people who want to help. There are organizations that are willing to help, but don’t give up.”

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

It’s great to see Al Roker maintaining a healthy lifestyle—and the general recommendations for a healthy lifestyle are the same whether you have cancer or not. Dr. Ken Miller, the Director of Outpatient Oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, has some guidelines for cancer survivors who are concerned about a recurrence:

1. Exercise at least two hours a week and walking counts.

RELATED: Major Reduction in Cancer Risk by Following Old Standbys Diet and Exercise

2. Eat a low-fat diet. The Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study, which looked at early-stage breast cancer patients, found that a low-fat diet was associated with reduced risk for cancer recurrence, particularly in those with estrogen receptor-negative cancers. Other studies have found that foods with a high glycemic index that are digested quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar may lead to tumor growth in lung cancer patients.

3. Eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society recommends aiming for two to three cups of vibrant vegetables and fruits each day.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that being obese can increase your risk for several types of cancer.

Keeping Fit and Managing Stress

Just as a healthy and balanced diet is always important, staying fit with regular exercise has a numerous benefits for cancer warriors and their loved ones alike.

“The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the fewer side effects you’ll have and the faster you;’ll get back to your normal quality of life,” Dr. Sairah Ahmed told SurvivorNet. Dr. Ahmed is an associate professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The Role of Diet and Exercise in Cancer Risk

Far from just physical fitness, Dr. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of emotional strength—both for patients and their loved ones.

“Stress control is often something that is not talked about and is not given much weight, but there is a lot of stress, both in terms of the patient who’s going through cancer, as well as the family who has to support that patient,” she says.

Of course, there are health worries. But there are so many more challenging factors to tackle, too.

Staying Active After a Cancer Diagnosis

“There’s financial stress, there’s emotional stress, and being able to deal with that as well as talk to professionals when you need it, is very important,” she says. “Staying on cancer treatment is the one thing that will help to cure your disease, and if you are so sad or so overwhelmed that that doesn’t happen, then you’re actually going to compromise your cancer treatment.”

She recommends preparing for “stress” and seeking professional support if needed, as a key piece of preparing for cancer treatment.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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