The ONE Group
Exercise Videos
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The ONE Group has put together a series of exercise videos that may be beneficial to people with cancer and that can be done from home, without any special equipment required. All videos were filmed in the Exercise Medicine Unit, a 300-square-feet facility within the second-floor infusion suite at Penn State Cancer Institute.
Before you begin
Our first concern is your safety and well-being. The workouts and exercises on this page are intended for people 18 and older. Before beginning any of the exercises, please answer the following two questions:
Can you lift a full gallon of milk out of the refrigerator and put it on the table?
If not, please ask your physician for a referral to physical therapy. The exercises that follow may be beyond your capacity.
Do you walk around your home between tasks?
If not, please only do the exercises in the seated and lying-down workout section.
Did you answer yes to both questions?
If you can lift a gallon of milk out of the refrigerator and you walk around your home between tasks, proceed to any of the videos listed.
Workout of the week (WOW!)
Warmup
Do each of these warmup exercises for one minute.
Strength and core exercises
Do each strength exercise twice, with 10 repetitions per movement each time. Be sure to do both sides.
Stretches
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Do both sides where appropriate.
Warmup
Do each of these warmup exercises for one minute.
Strength and core exercises
Do each strength exercise twice, 10 repetitions per movement. Be sure to do both sides.
Stretches
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Do both sides where appropriate.
Warmup
Take a 10-minute walk before starting the exercises.
Strength and core exercises
Do each strength exercise twice, 10 repetitions per exercise, both sides.
Stretches
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds on each sides.
Warmup
Do each of these warmup exercises for one minute.
Strength and core exercises
Do each strength exercise twice, with 10 repetitions per movement each time. Be sure to do both sides.
Stretches
Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Do both sides where appropriate.
Partner workout
These four exercises are for you to do two to three times weekly with your partner. Try working through the list twice, with 10 repetitions of each exercise each time. If the exercise is shown for one side only, do it on both sides each time.
Warmup Exercises
Arm Circles
Hip Abduction
Leg Swings
Seated Leg Marches
Standing Leg Marches
Balance Exercises
Airplane
Single-Leg Stance
Tandem Walk
Toe Taps
Toe TapsTree Pose
Flexibility Exercises
Calf Stretch
Cobra Stretch
Door Stretch
Half-Moon Stretch
Hip-Flexor Stretch
Neck Tilt and Turns
Quad Stretch Variety
Seated Piriformis Stretch
Seated Slump
Side Flexions
Spinal Twist
Upper Back Stretch
Wrist Stretch
Core Exercises
Bear Crawls
Bicycle Crunches
Bird Dogs
Bridges
Crunches
Deadbugs
Leg Lift Varieties
Leg Raises
Planks
Plank with Shoulder Taps
Planks with a Partner
Russian Twists
Six-Inch Ankle Raise
Sumo Obliques
Supine Leg Marches
Supine Pelvic Twists
Lower-Body Exercises
Calf and Heel Raises
Lunges with a Partner
Rising Sun
Seated Clamshells
Seated Leg Extension
Side Lunges
Single-Leg Romanian Dead Lift
Sliding Reverse Lunge
Split Squat
Squat Varieties
Squats with a Partner
Step-Ups
Sumo Squats
Upper-Body Exercises
Arm Raises
Bicep Curls
Front Arm Raise
Overhead Press
Pushup Varieties
Rows Variety
Tricep Kickbacks
Upright Row
Seated and Lying-Down Workout
Some patients may be advised to be more cautious in exercise. For example, patients with metastatic disease in their bones may be advised to keep their exercise seated. For these patients, we offer the following exercises.Note that some of these videos are shown standing, but the exercise can clearly be done seated.
Workout plan
Do both of the warmup exercises for a minute each, then choose two exercises from each of the other categories (flexibility, lower body, trunk, upper body). Do each exercise for 10 repetitions; rest, then repeat. Do this workout, seated or lying down, three times a week to maintain your physical function and improve your fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep and quality of life.
Warmup
Do both for one minute each.
Flexibility
Choose two of these exercises and do each for 10 repetitions.
Trunk
Choose two of these exercises and do each for 10 repetitions.
Lower body
Do both of these exercises for 10 repetitions.
Upper body
Choose two of these exercises and do each for 10 repetitions.