Remember – the most important thing is to move as much as you can.

Take your time and be patient with yourself as you gradually increase your activity. What may be a low- or moderate-intensity activity for a healthy person may seem like a high-intensity activity for some cancer survivors. Most people are able to slowly increase exercise time and intensity as their side effects lessen. Talk with your cancer care team about exercising during treatment and whether there are any limits to what you can do. People who were very sedentary (inactive) before cancer treatment may need to start with short, low-intensity activity, such as short slow walks. The goal is to stay as active as you can. If you exercised before treatment, you might need to exercise less or at a lower intensity during treatment.

Your stamina, strength, and fitness level before and during treatment.

During treatmentĬertain things can affect your ability to exercise during treatment, such as: So, starting out in better physical shape means you can tolerate more activity during and after treatment. Many people find that as they start treatment, the ability to be active may be harder. Also, physical activity may help you deal with distress and anxiety, have more energy, and sleep better as you begin treatment. Research shows that being as active as possible may reduce complications from surgery and may help you handle treatment better. Goals of an exercise program Before treatmentīecoming more active or staying at your current level of physical activity before treatment may help you handle and recover from your treatment more easily. You can find more information, including how much to exercise for specific cancer-related side effects, on the American College of Sports Medicine Moving through Cancer website.

Do stretching exercises at least 2 days each week.

Include resistance training exercise at least 2 days per week.

Exercise several times a week for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Build up to 150-300 minutes of moderate (or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity) activity each week.

Start slowly and build up the amount of physical activity over time.

Take part in regular physical activity.

Avoid inactivity and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible after diagnosis and treatment.

These Guidelines call for cancer survivors to: : The American Cancer Society has a Nutrition and Physical Activity Guideline for Cancer Survivors. General physical activity recommendations for cancer survivors Decrease the chance that some types of cancer will come back.May help with breast cancer-related lymphedema (and does not increase risk).Help you get to and maintain a healthy weight.Improve your muscle strength, bone health and range of motion.Keep or improve your physical ability to get things done.How regular exercise may help you before, during, and after cancer treatment Many cancer care teams are urging their patients to be as physically active as possible before, during and after cancer treatment. Too much time spent resting or sitting can cause loss of body function, muscle weakness, and reduced range of motion. Physical activity may also help you cope with side effects of treatment and possibly decrease your risk of new cancers in the future. It can help improve your quality of life as well as the energy you have to do the things you like. Research shows that for most people exercise is safe and helpful before, during, and after cancer treatment.