Key takeaways
- Increasing physical activity should be encouraged as early as possible. You do not have to wait until treatment ends.
- You can do what you enjoy and go at your own pace. Anything is better than nothing.
- Increasing physical activity should be done safely to minimise the risk of injury or impact to your health or recovery
- Get clear about any potential barriers to exercise you might be experiencing and seek support from professionals
When discussing movement and cancer, common misconceptions often arise, the primary one being that movement can make treatment side-effects worse. However, there is a very strong evidence base that exercise actually improves them. Physical exercise can help to improve your response to treatment, minimise the impact of side effects, and potentially reduce the risk of the cancer returning. Exercise also improves overall physical and mental wellbeing. In this article, Perci’s clinical exercise coach dispels five common myths about physical exercise after cancer treatment, and shares key safety advice.
When can you start exercising after cancer treatment?
Our clinical exercise coaches recommend physical exercise throughout cancer treatment and actively encourage increasing your physical activity as early as possible after it. From day one, if you can. Increasing or adding physical activity to your routine does require careful consideration and planning, to ensure you get the most benefit. Build up gradually and pace your activity: don’t overdo it on a good day, and don’t underdo it on a bad day.
Five common myths about physical exercise after cancer treatment
One: Repetitive activities (like lifting weights) increase the risk of developing lymphoedema.
There is no evidence to support this claim but we do advise increasing physical activity and lifting weights in a graduated way, monitoring signs for swelling.
Two: Physical activity increases fatigue.
Increasing physical activity when you’re fatigued might be the last thing you want to do, however studies have shown that exercise can actually improve fatigue. Build up gradually and pace yourself. Remember, if you are experiencing ongoing issues with fatigue, speak with your GP, or treatment team, as there may be something they can help with, for example, reviewing your medication or checking your bloods.
Three: Physical activity is risky if you’re experiencing pain, tightness, weakness or loss of balance.
If these symptoms are impacting your day-to-day life, you may have concerns around making them worse or risking an injury. However, increased physical activity can actually help with all of these.
Four: Physical activity can increase infection risk for those undergoing chemotherapy.
People still undergoing treatment like chemotherapy are advised to minimise the risk of infection. This doesn’t mean you should miss out on increasing your physical activity. While you may want to avoid exercising in a pool, gym or busy class whilst on chemotherapy, exercising outdoors or at home can be just as effective.
Five: Exercise is expensive, requires a lot of equipment, can be intimidating and takes a lot of time and effort.
You do not need to be a member of a club or gym, or buy expensive equipment, to increase your physical activity. There are a wealth of options which are low cost, short and safe to do, within your own home or in friendly groups. Finally, for those still on active treatment for stage four disease, there are still activities you can do to improve your physical wellbeing.
How to exercise safely after treatment
There is strong evidence that physical exercise can be beneficial for pain reduction, making us stronger for daily function, maximising our quality of life and potentially reducing the risk of cancer returning. However, as with any long-term health condition, increasing physical activity should be done safely to minimise the risk of injury or impact to your health or recovery.
As a first step, it’s important to be clear about any potential barriers to exercise you might be experiencing. Examples include side-effects like pain, fatigue, lymphoedema, breathlessness, and continence or balance issues. Talking to your treatment team or GP is a good place to start to check that they are happy for you exercise in a safe way.
How to modify your exercise type or location, depending on the concern.
If you are worried about bone health, such as cancer affecting your bones or osteoporosis, avoid high-impact activity or contact sports, which may increase your risk of fracture, and always check with your treatment team.
If you’re worried about low white blood count, infection risk or low platelets (increased risk of bruising or bleeding), try to exercise in an environment that minimises the risk of infection, e.g., home or outdoors. Avoid contact sports and high-impact exercise.
If you are worried about treatment symptoms getting worse, including pain (non-exercise related), nausea, shortness of breath or feeling unwell, try to avoid high-intensity exercise. If symptoms persist or increase, stop the activity and contact your treatment team.
If you’re worried about lymphoedema, firstly, always check with your treatment team first. Progress resistance exercises in small, gradual increments. Drink plenty of water (unless advised not to) and wear compression garments during exercise if you have been assessed as needing them.
If you are worried about falls, because of peripheral neuropathy, reduced balance or mobility, or joint instability, always exercise on a stable surface and wear stable footwear or bare feet (not socks). If swimming, be mindful of slippery surfaces.
While we have ensured that every article is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our healthcare professionals or your primary healthcare team.