Role of Physical Activity & Exercises in CANCER Patient's

Cancer Patient

In the past, people being treated for a chronic illness (an illness a person may live with for a long time, like cancer or diabetes) were often told by their doctor to rest and reduce their physical activity. This is good advice if movement causes pain, rapid heart rate, or shortness of breath. But newer research has shown that exercise is not only safe and possible during cancer treatment, but it can improve how well you function physically and your quality of life.

Too much rest can lead to loss of body function, muscle weakness, and reduced range of motion. So today, many cancer care teams are urging their patients to be as physically active as possible during cancer treatment. Many people are learning about the advantages of being physically active after treatment, too.

 Regular exercise ways

• Keep or improve your physical abilities (how well you can use your body to do things)


• Improve balance, lower risk of falls and broken bones


• Keep muscles from wasting due to inactivity


• Lower the risk of heart disease


• Lessen the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones that are more likely to break)


• Improve blood flow to your legs and lower the risk of blood clots


• Make you less dependent on others for help with normal activities of daily living


• Improve your self-esteem


• Lower the risk of being anxious and depressed


• Lessen nausea


• Improve your ability to keep social contacts


• Lessen symptoms of tiredness (fatigue)


• Help you control your weight


• Improve your quality of life

Precautions for exercise

Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. This is especially important if your treatments can affect your lungs (such as the drug bleomycin or radiation to the chest), your heart (such as the drugs doxorubicin or epirubicin), or if you are at risk for lung or heart disease. Be sure you understand what you can and can’t do.

• Your cancer care team will check your blood counts during your treatment. Ask them about your results, and if it’s OK for you to exercise.


• Do not exercise if you have a low red blood cell count (anemia).


• If you have low white blood cell counts or if you take medicines that make you less able to fight infection, stay away from public gyms and other public places until your counts are at safe levels.


• Do not exercise if the level of minerals in your blood, such as sodium and potassium, are not normal. This can happen if you have had a lot of vomiting or diarrhea.


• If it’s OK with your doctor, drink plenty of fluids.


• Do not exercise if you have unrelieved pain, nausea/vomiting, or any other symptom that causes you concern. Call your doctor.


• Do not exercise above a moderate level of exertion without talking with your doctor first. Remember, moderate exertion is about as much effort as a brisk walk.


• If you have a catheter or feeding tube, avoid pool, lake, or ocean water and other exposures that may cause infections. Also, do not do resistance training that uses muscles in the area of the catheter to keep from dislodging it. Talk with your cancer team about what’s safe for you.


• To avoid skin irritation, people getting radiation should not expose skin in the treatment area to the chlorine in swimming pools.


• If you feel very tired and don’t feel up to exercising you can try doing 10 minutes of light exercises every day. (Later we will discuss fatigue and exercise in more detail.)


• Stay away from uneven surfaces or any weight-bearing exercises that could cause you to fall and hurt yourself.


• Do not use heavy weights or do exercise that puts too much stress on your bones if you have osteoporosis, cancer that has spread to the bone, arthritis, nerve damage, poor vision, poor balance, or weakness. You may be more likely to hurt yourself or break a bone.


• If you have numbness in your feet or problems with balance, you are at higher risk for falls. You might do better with a stationary reclining bicycle, for example, than a treadmill.


• Watch for swollen ankles, unexplained weight gain, or shortness of breath while at rest or with a small amount of activity. Let your doctor know if you have any of these problems.


• Watch for bleeding, especially if you are taking blood thinners. Avoid any activity that puts you at risk for falls or injury. If you notice swelling, pain, dizziness, or blurred vision, call your doctor right away.

Cancer Fatigue

Most people with cancer notice that they have a lot less energy. During chemotherapy and radiation, most patients have fatigue. Fatigue is when your body and brain feel tired. This tiredness does not get better with rest. For many, fatigue is severe and limits their activity. But inactivity leads to muscle wasting and loss of function.

An aerobic training program can help break this cycle. In research studies, regular exercise has been linked to reduced fatigue. It’s also linked to being able to do normal daily activities without major problems. An aerobic exercise program can be prescribed as treatment for fatigue in cancer patients. Talk with your doctor about this.

Reduce fatigue:

• Set up a daily routine that lets you be active when you feel your best.


• Get regular, light-to-moderate intensity exercise.


• Get fresh air.


• Unless you are told otherwise, eat a balanced diet that includes protein (meat, milk, eggs, and legumes such as peas or beans).


• Drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day unless your doctor tells you not to. Even more fluids are needed to prevent dehydration if you’re exercising intensely, sweating, or in a hot environment.


• Control your symptoms, like pain, nausea, or depression.


• Keep things you use often within easy reach to save energy.


• Enjoy your hobbies and other activities that give you pleasure.


• Use relaxation and visualization techniques to reduce stress.


• Balance activity with rest that does not interfere with nighttime sleep.


• Ask for help when you need it.

The key is to keep your exercise program simple and fun. Exercise and relaxation techniques are great ways to relieve stress. Reducing stress is an important part of getting well and staying well.

Stick to your exercise program

• Set short-term and long-term goals.


• Focus on having fun.


• Do something different to keep it fresh. Try yoga, dancing, or tai chi.


• Ask for support from others, or get friends, family, and co-workers to exercise with you.


• Use charts to record your exercise progress.


• Recognize and reward your achievements.

Starting an exercise program can be a big task, even for a healthy person. It may be even harder for you if you have a chronic illness, especially if you weren’t used to exercising before your diagnosis. Start slowly and build up as you are able. If you were exercising regularly before you were diagnosed with cancer, you may need to reduce the intensity and length of your exercise sessions.

Let exercise provide you with its benefits. Remember, exercise helps:

• Prevent muscle wasting


• Reduce treatment side effects


• Improve your fitness


• Improve your quality of life

Physical activity in daily routine

Here are some ways to add physical activity to the things you do every day. Remember, only do what you feel up to doing.

• Walk around your neighborhood after dinner.


• Ride your bike.


• Mow the grass, or rake the leaves instead of using a blower.


• Scrub your bathroom.


• Wash and wax your car.


• Play active games with kids, like freeze tag, jump rope, and the games you played when you were a kid.


• Walk a dog (one that can be controlled so that you don’t trip or get pulled off balance).


• Weed your garden.


• Take a friend dancing, or dance in your own living room.


• Use an exercise bike or treadmill, or do arm curls, squats, lunges, and crunches while watching TV.


• Walk to lunch.


• Park your car in the farthest parking space at work and walk to the building.


• Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.


• Get off the bus several stops early and walk the rest of the way to work.


• Make appointments for yourself in your daily planner for 10-minute walking breaks.


• Form a walking club of co-workers to help you stay motivated to walk during the workday.


• Wear a pedometer every day and try to increase your daily steps.

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