Exercise During Cancer Treatment
Learn about exercise during cancer treatment in this guide from The ONE Group (Oncology – Nutrition – Exercise) at Penn State College of Medicine.
What you should know
How exercise can help during cancer treatment
Improved quality of life
Lowered risk of being anxious or depressed
Improved physical function
Improved sleep
Improved cancer-related fatigue
Improved bone health
Types of exercise
Aerobic exercise, such a walking or jogging, increases your heart rate.
Strength training will help build muscle.
Stretching reduces muscle tightness and increases flexibility.
Physical activity guidelines
30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three days a week
Strength training at least two times a week
What you can do: Exercising safely during your treatment
How to exercise safely during your treatment
It is important to speak to your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Progress slowly with each exercise. If you wonder whether it is OK to exercise on a given day during your treatment, try exercising for 10 minutes. If you feel worse, stop and try again the next day.
Listen to your body. If your fatigue worsens during exercise, take a break or rest.
Drink at least eight cups of water a day. If you are exercising outside in the heat, drink more water.
Exercise in a safe environment. Exercise on a surface with flat ground to reduce the risk of falling.
If you feel walking for 30 minutes at one time is too much, try taking three 10-minute walks.
Exercise is safe for women with or at risk for breast-cancer-related lymphedema.
Adding physical activity to your daily routine
Walk around your house for 10 minutes every day.
Clean your house while listening to music – dance while you vacuum.
Walk your pet every morning for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use the stairs instead of an elevator.
Take an exercise class with a friend once a week.
Ride a bike at low to moderate intensity.
Park your car farther away and walk to the building.
How hard should I work out?
You can use a scale of 0 to 10 to gauge how hard you are working.
On a scale of 0 to 10, a rating of zero means you are resting. An intensity rating of 10 means you are working out your body as much as you can.
Start with working at a slower intensity of 1 to 3.
After you feel comfortable at a 3, work up to an intensity of 4 to 6. This range is considered “moderate intensity.” At this level, you should be able to speak in sentences without being out of breath.
If you start to feel the exercise is getting difficult, stop the exercise and decrease the intensity.
A rating of 9 or 10 means you cannot catch your breath. This is excessive.
Intensity scale at a glance
10 – Maximal effort – as hard as you have ever worked
9
8 – Very hard
7 – Moderately hard
6
5 – Hard
4 – Somewhat hard (starting to breathe harder)
3 – Moderate
2 – Somewhat easy – like walking around your home
1 – Very easy
0 – At rest
Things to consider
Before starting any exercise program, consult with your doctor.
Exercise at your own pace. Increase your intensity when your body feels ready for it.
Avoid being physically inactive, which will lead ot a decrease in strength and muscle.
Don’t overwork yourself – you should work at an intensity that doesn’t worsen your symptoms.
Notes
References
American Cancer Society
American College of Sports Medicine Moving Through Cancer initiative
Cancer.net
National Cancer Institute