Introduction:
It is necessary to investigate the effects of progressive resistance exercise (PRE) in patients with pituitary adenomas after surgery, to provide insights into the clinical management of pituitary adenomas.

Material and methods:
This study is a pre- and post-control experimental study design with the hypothesis that PRE can reduce postoperative fatigue. Patients with pituitary adenoma were included. The control group received conventional postoperative rehabilitation guidance, and the PRE group received PRE on the basis of routine rehabilitation. We measured the patient’s muscle mass, muscle strength, vital capacity, and postoperative fatigue level 1 day before and 12 weeks after the operation. SPSS 22.0 was used for data analysis.

Results:
A total of 89 patients were enrolled, including 44 in the control group and 45 in the PRE group. There was no significant difference in muscle mass between the 2 groups in the 12th week after surgery, but the muscle loss of the left upper limb, trunk, and lower limbs of the control group was significantly higher than that of the PRE group (all p < 0.05). The muscle strength and vital capacity of the control group were significantly lower than that of the intervention group, and the fatigue level was significantly higher than that of the PRE group (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions:
Progressive resistance exercise is helpful to combat muscle loss, muscle strength, and lung function decline caused by long-term bed rest in patients with pituitary adenoma after operation, thereby improving the postoperative fatigue level of patients.