Exercise Safety During Cancer Treatment
Learn about exercise safety 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 helps during cancer treatment
Improves quality of life
Lowers the risk of being anxious or depressed
Improves physical function
Improves sleep
Improves cancer-related fatigue
Improves 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.
Evidence-based 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.
Stay hydrated. 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.
Go on walks throughout the day. If you feel walking for 30 minutes at one time is too much, try to go on a shorter walk at least twice a day for 15 minutes each time, or three times a day for 10 minutes.
Exercise is safe for women with or at risk for breast-cancer-related lymphedema.
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 you have made progress, 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 completely
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 (starting to breathe harder)
4 – Somewhat hard (starting to breathe harder)
3 – Moderate (starting to breathe harder)
2 – Somewhat easy – like walking around your home
1 – Very easy
0 – At rest
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.
Things to consider
Before starting any exercise program, consult with your doctor.
Exercise at your own pace.
Avoid being physically inactive, which will lead ot a decrease in strength and muscle.
Increase your intensity depending on if your body can handle it.
What to avoid
Physical inactivity, which will lead to a decrease in muscle strength and mass
Overworking yourself; be sure to work at an intensity that does not result in worsening your fatigue or other symptoms
Notes
References
American Cancer Society
American College of Sports Medicine Moving Through Cancer initiative
Cancer.net
National Cancer Institute