Building Strength
Building strength before, during, and after treatment can help combat fatigue, speed recovery time, relieve pain, improve mobility, and make you feel better overall. Your type of cancer and treatment will largely dictate what kind of physical activities you should do and when.
Caution: Before You Begin
Talk to your doctor before you begin.
Cancer patients have different needs so physical activity should be individualized accordingly. Initiate your program slowly and progress at a gradual pace.
Ask your doctor about nutrition goals.
A nutrition plan should be followed while engaging in any exercise program. This will help rebuild your muscle strength and help with problems such as anemia or any impaired organ function.
Try our Food and Nutrition Center for general diet tips and healthy recipes.
Do you have a question about exercising with cancer? Click on a question below or click Next.
- Who should exercise?
- Who should avoid exercise?
- How much exercise is beneficial?
- When and how should I begin my exercise program?
- What kinds of exercises can I do right after surgery?
- Should I "warm up" before workouts?
- Are there some strengthening exercises I can do while in bed?
- Are there exercises I can do while sitting up in a chair?
- What are some strengthening exercises I can perform while standing up?
- What can I expect in terms of recovering strength after surgery/treatments?
- What are some different types of exercises/activities I can do while I'm recovering from treatment?
- Can yoga benefit my recovery?
- What kind of program should I start when recovering from breast cancer?
- What kind of exercises should I do when recovering from gynecological cancers?
- Is there a program I can start while recovering from lung cancer surgery and/or treatment?
- What kind of exercise program would be good after my treatments end and my energy level returns to normal?
