After receiving a cancer diagnosis, exercise may not be at the top of your list of priorities. You already have a lot on your mind and may be experiencing side effects that make you feel unwell and tired. You may even wonder, is it safe to exercise with cancer? (Answer: it usually is.)
Though it may seem difficult to summon the energy for exercise when you have cancer, it’s worth it. Exercising can make it easier to cope with cancer and help make treatment more effective.
Below, we share exercise tips and recommendations from the American Cancer Society, other health organizations and HealthPartners cancer experts on how to exercise safely and effectively during treatment. But before starting an exercise program, make sure to talk to your cancer care team about what makes the most sense for you.
Top benefits of exercise for cancer patients include improved well-being and more effective treatment
Exercise is good for everyone but staying active can be especially helpful for people who have cancer. Studies consistently show that exercise can ease side effects from cancer treatment and help the treatment work better.
Regular physical activity during cancer treatment can help with:
- Physical health – Staying active during treatment can help you feel stronger and steadier, making it easier to move around and stay independent. Exercise also supports your heart and lungs, which can help you keep up with everyday tasks.
- Mental well-being – Physical activity can boost your mood and reduce anxiety and depression. It releases natural brain chemicals (endorphins) that make you feel better and allow you to reset your thoughts.
- Energy levels – Exercising takes energy, but it helps to raise your energy level overall. Exercise can help manage fatigue, a common side effect of cancer treatment, and can even improve your energy level and ability to cope with treatment.
- Thinking and memory – Physical activity stimulates the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that help with memory, learning and thinking.
- Appetite – Regular physical activity requires a healthy appetite. And eating well will help you maintain the strength needed for effective cancer treatment.
- Sleep – Regular exercise helps you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality. When you’re well rested, your body and brain are better able to fight cancer.
- Recovery – Staying active may help you recover faster and with fewer complications. This applies to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.
- Cancer prevention – Regular exercise can lower the risk of getting certain cancers. For people with cancer, evidence now shows that it can also help protect against new cancers and cancer recurrence.
There are many physical and mental benefits of exercise during cancer treatment. Getting regular exercise promotes better overall health and can even protect against other serious conditions, such as heart disease.
What is the best exercise for people with cancer? It depends on the person.
A mix of cardio (aerobic), strength training and stretching exercises offers the greatest benefit. The different types of exercise work together to support health and well-being. The best exercises for you will depend on your overall health, preferences and treatment plan. Your cancer care team can help. At HealthPartners, our cancer rehabilitation experts can personalize an exercise program for you.
Cardio exercises
Cardio exercises are ones that make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. These exercises help improve your heart health, boost energy levels and lift your mood, making it easier for you to take the steps that will make treatment most effective. Examples of cardio activities include:
- Walking
- Riding a bike
- Swimming
- Dancing
Strength training
These exercises help maintain muscle mass and bone density. When your body is stronger, it works better. So, you’ll be better able to manage fatigue and keep up with daily activities. Strength training exercises can involve pushing and pulling any combination of:
- Hand weights
- Resistance bands
- Your own bodyweight
Stretching exercises and mind-body therapies
Stretching exercises can help maintain your range of motion and flexibility, and may be especially helpful after certain cancer treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy for breast cancer.
In some cases, stretching can also provide a mental and emotional boost. The American Cancer Society highlights yoga and Tai Chi as mind-body therapies that may support health and well-being when used alongside other cancer treatments.
How much exercise to get during cancer treatment
Any amount of exercise is good and can help with your treatment and overall health. That’s why it’s so important to start, even though exercising may be the last thing on your mind and may not feel easy.
There are guidelines on how much exercise you should try to get. According to the American Cancer Society, it’s good to aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week, as well as at least two sessions of strength training. It’s also important to reduce sedentary behaviors such as sitting and lying down.
If you can’t exercise that much, don’t worry. There may be days when it comes time to exercise, and you feel far more tired than you expected. If this happens, don’t push yourself. Just do what you can because something is better than nothing.
The difference between moderate and vigorous exercise
What counts as moderate or vigorous exercise depends a bit on you and your current fitness level. While you’re exercising, try talking or singing. If you can sing, the activity is low intensity. If you can talk comfortably but can’t sing, it’s moderate intensity. And if talking feels difficult, it’s vigorous intensity.
If you feel dizzy, unusually short of breath, nauseated, in pain or extremely fatigued during or after exercise, it may be a sign the activity is too intense for you at this time. You should stop and check in with your cancer care team.
Safety tips for exercising with cancer: Start slow and listen to your body
What a good (and safe) exercise routine looks like depends on your fitness level, the type and stage of your cancer, your treatment plan, the side effects you’re experiencing and how much energy you have.
No matter what your starting point is, it’s important to stay physically active while listening to your body. Avoid pushing yourself too hard and take steps to prevent falls. Always talk with your cancer care team before swimming, strength training or increasing the intensity of your workouts, as some activities may not be safe depending on your treatment or health status.
How to start exercising with cancer
Start out slowly. One way to get started is by taking time throughout your day for “physical activity snacks” – this is a term used in resources from the American College of Sports Medicine to describe short bursts of movement. Physical activity snacks can include things like walking to the mailbox, dancing in the kitchen, gardening or a short stroll around your neighborhood with your dog.
This will help you determine how much energy you have and what level of activity you feel comfortable with, so you don’t hurt or overwork yourself. As you increase the variety and intensity of your activities, add in warm-up and cooldown periods at the beginning and end to give your body time to adjust.
Adjusting your exercise routine if you have cancer
For many people, it’s possible to continue their usual exercise routine during cancer treatment, with some adjustments. Keep in mind that lowering the intensity is okay and you don’t need to push hard to see benefits. Scale workouts up or down based on how you feel each day. Shorter workouts, or physical activity snacks, may be a better option if longer sessions leave you feeling overly tired.
Your cancer care team or rehabilitation specialist can help tailor an exercise plan to your needs, especially if you’re experiencing fatigue, balance changes or heart‑related concerns.
When should people with cancer start exercising? As soon as possible.
Generally speaking, the goal is to be as active as possible before, during and after treatment. So unless your care team identifies a reason to wait, the time to start is right away.
Exercising before cancer treatment helps prepare your body
Being in better physical shape can help your body handle the stress of treatment more effectively. The activity will help to keep your heart and lungs strong, which aids your body in fighting cancer cells. It does this by improving blood circulation and delivering more oxygen and nutrients to support the immune system’s ability to identify and get rid of cancer cells.
Being active can also help you reconnect with your body and rebuild trust in what it can do. It’s a powerful way to lift your mood, ease anxiety and feel more in control, especially after the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.
Exercising during cancer treatment helps reduce side effects and makes treatment work better
In the past, doctors generally believed it was best for people to rest during cancer treatment. But now research shows exercise may actually slow tumor growth, make cancer more responsive to treatment and promote healing.
Exercise can help you manage side effects, such as fatigue and poor appetite, if you are experiencing them. It can also support your mental well-being, making it easier for your mind and body to cope with treatment. And if you have swelling (lymphedema) following cancer treatment, exercise won’t make it worse.
When you’re able to get the recommended dose of therapy and stick with a schedule, treatment works better. So, following a schedule for physical activity can be a very important part of cancer treatment.
Exercising after cancer treatment can help with healing and recovery
Exercise provides major mind and body benefits for everyone. This is no different for people who have had cancer treatment.
For people recovering from cancer, getting regular exercise is especially important. In fact, research shows that sticking with an exercise program after cancer treatment may even reduce the chance it will come back.
As you start feeling better, increase the intensity and duration of your workouts, and try to stick with a regular schedule for cardio, strength training and stretching exercises.
Let us know if you’d like help planning for exercise during cancer treatment
A cancer diagnosis can be a lot to handle. But exercising before, during and after cancer treatment can make you stronger in both body and mind. If you’re not sure how to start, talk to your cancer care team. They can also provide recommendations about other ways to feel better, such as foods to eat and avoid during cancer treatment. And our cancer rehabilitation experts offer a range of support services, including occupational therapy and lymphedema therapy.
Anytime you have questions or need help with the effects of cancer or cancer treatment, your cancer care team is there for you every step of the way.
