Physical Activity

For the majority of people with cancer, exercise is not only safe, but important to wellness and recovery. Being physically active is associated with a lower risk of many types of cancer including bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney and stomach cancers. In addition to improving health and increasing fitness, exercise has been shown to improve many side effects of cancer including:

• Fatigue
• Mood
• Sleep
• Pain
• Stamina
• Balance
• Muscle strength
• Lymphedema
• General body function (e.g., after surgery)
• May increase lifespan
• Improves quality of life in many other ways

Physical activity can be any activity that requires movement of the body. Common activities include:

• Walking
• Household chores like vacuuming or laundry
• Painting
• Gardening
• Taking the stairs
• Stretching
• Dancing
• Movement classes (like aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi, martial arts, etc)
• Traditional types of exercise (like jogging, swimming, cycling, sports, gym equipment, etc.)

Do what you like or try something new. The most important thing is to get some healthy movement.

Safety

For most people with cancer, physical activity is safe as long as there is awareness of physical limitations in your body. It’s best to discuss any possible limitations with your doctor.

Examples of times when physical activity might be risky or need to be modified, include:

• Bone fractures, tumors or other conditions that might lead to injury to bones, muscles or joints
• Fragile heart conditions
• Shortness of breath
• Recovery from surgery or other procedures
• Dizziness, low blood pressure, weakness, easy bleeding, poor balance or high risk of falling
• Altered mental status or confusion

What’s the right amount of activity?

Physical activity recommendations can vary depending on an individual’s fitness level or physical limitations. It is important to pay close attention to sensations in your body and to build your exercise tolerance up slowly and steadily to avoid injury or over-exhaustion.

Most experts recommend at least 150 minutes - 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes- 100 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly. This exercise can be divided up over the course of the week into times that work for you. Moderate-intensity exercise includes brisk walking, light bicycling, heavy housework (vacuuming, mopping, etc). It is also important to do resistance training (with resistance bands, weights, or through yoga or gardening, etc) twice weekly.

For some people, it is a goal to work towards regular exercise, while others are able to comfortably endure much higher levels of physical activity. If physical activity has become very challenging, you may consider just starting with a 5-10 minute walk each day as you work to increase your fitness goals.

No matter how long or how intense your exercise is, it is also important to reduce the time that you spend sitting. Being sedentary is its own risk factor for cancer and for death from cancer. Interrupt prolonged periods of sitting with short walks, stretches, dancing, shaking or movement of any kind. It is ideal to move your body for at least a few minutes for every 60-90 minutes spent sitting.

Cancer Center and Community Offerings

Many cancer centers offer gentle exercise classes such as yoga (also chair yoga), Tai Chi, or other gentle movements for people at all levels of fitness or illness. Additionally, if you have a particular physical activity limitation, your physician or other provider may be able to recommend physical therapy for strength building, flexibility, and general improvement of functioning.

Many communities offer free or low-cost activities for cancer survivors such as cancer meet-up exercise, hiking or wellness, groups, fitness classes, or other group activities. Explore your local resources for activities that can help you feel comfortable with movement and exercise, build community and relationships, and improve your fitness and morale.