Cancer treatment is no walk in the park, with symptoms and side effects like fatigue, stress, anxiety, poor appetite and sleep, swelling and pain. However, staying active during treatment, such as taking an actual walk in the park, can help combat all of these symptoms, speed up recovery, and may even help prevent cancer from coming back after successful treatment. In fact, the
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) strongly recommends exercise as a safe and effective standard of care for people going through cancer treatment, if they are able.
If HIIT classes and heavy weights seem daunting while undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatments, don't worry — there's a level of exercise that will work for anyone approved by their doctor to take part. Below, you can learn about some of the incredible benefits exercise has during cancer treatment, along with tips and recommendations for building a fitness routine during this stage of life.
Exercise During Cancer: Benefits & Tips
Exercise impacts every cell, tissue and organ system in your body, and the right amount and type can improve all aspects of your health. Plenty of research shows that exercise improves the lives of people facing cancer treatment in many ways, both physical and mental. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) created a
research report on these benefits for cancer survivors, including those currently undergoing treatment. Here's what they found:
- Helps manage cancer-related fatigue
- Reduce anxiety and depression (short and long term)
- Improve physical function
- Helps manage lymphedema
- Boosts bone health (offsetting some treatment-related bone loss)
- Supports quality sleep
- May help manage cancer-related pain
- Increases tolerance to cancer therapies
- May reduce the risk of cancer recurrence
- Helps with healthy weight maintenance
- Reduces the risk of developing other chronic diseases
- Enhances overall quality of life
- Encourages healthy body image and self-esteem
- Can provide social support
How to Exercise During Cancer Treatment
Everyone's cancer journey is different, and that includes your physical and mental capacity or how you'll feel on any given day. Plus, each person's cancer type, treatment, stage, fitness level, symptoms, and preferences are unique, and fitness plans should reflect each of these factors. That said, the ACSM and American Cancer Society have created some general guidelines.
Getting started
Beginners can aim for 10-minute
walks each day or two bouts of 5-minute walks, increasing the time until you can walk for 30 minutes daily. If you don't want to walk, you can pick another activity, so long as it gets your heart rate and breathing rate up a little. For instance, you could do bodyweight squats, air boxing or step aerobics at home, or you could go for a bike ride, swim or hike. Even activities like household chores and
gardening count as fantastic exercise.
Do both aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening
Aerobic
cardiovascular exercise and muscle strengthening are both crucial for supporting your health during cancer treatment. During most aerobic exercise, you should still be able to talk but not sing, which indicates you're in
zone 2 cardio, or 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Try
easier paced running, dancing, cycling or exercise classes and machines, aiming for 150 minutes of activity per week.
Strengthening your muscles, which also helps
keep your bones in shape, should target each major muscle group at least twice per week. You could break this up into four workouts with two upper body and two lower body focused sessions per week, or do two full body workouts weekly. Try doing 2 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions per exercise.
Add balance and flexibility training
Adding
balance and
flexibility training is a great way to protect yourself from falls and accidents while also lowering stress and improving your exercise recovery. You can do this type of training after your muscle-strengthening workouts or during days off. Activities like
yoga, Tai Chi, mobility movements or targeted exercise classes are ideal. If you have
lymphedema, a type of swelling that's common during cancer treatments, doing stretches and range of motion exercises that encourage lymph flow can help manage it.
Progressing your exercise routine
Over time, if you feel stronger and fitter, you increase the duration and intensity of your exercise, so long as you still feel good and can recover well. Build up to 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week.
If your exercise leaves you feeling too worn out or you start noticing negative symptoms, then slow down and go back to what you were doing before. It's always best to talk to an exercise professional or physical therapist for personal advice tailored to your situation.
How to recover from exercise
Be sure to support your activity with a nutritious diet, including enough carbohydrates, protein and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. Getting enough quality sleep is also very important for recovery, and fortunately, exercise improves sleep and vice versa, so they are a perfect pairing. If your sleep starts to get worse as you increase exercise, it could mean you're overdoing it, so slow down and talk to your doctor.
Precautions for exercising during cancer treatment
The number one piece of advice for best results is to consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Everyone's health and abilities are different, and during cancer treatment, there will be ups and downs and new changes that can impact how much time and energy you can or should put into your exercise routine. Always listen to your body and stop immediately if you feel pain, dizziness or like anything is "off".
Keep hydrated before, during and after exercise and stay out of the extreme heat, humidity or cold, which can increase risks for heart attacks, heat stroke and dehydration. Tell someone if you are exercising alone, but preferably, have a friend or loved one nearby in case you need help.
More Resources
For more information about exercising during cancer treatment, the ASCM has a
Moving Through Cancer website packed with helpful information.. If you want local support and social benefits, check out the
Moving Through Cancer program directory to find cancer exercise programs near you. You can also find tips and advice for staying active during cancer treatment from the
American Physical Therapy Association. And if apps are your thing, you can try the
Cancer Exercise App, which is designed to help people with cancer maintain a regular exercise routine.
