Exercise & Fitness after Cancer

Benefits:

Lower your risk of getting some types of cancers, such as breast and colon cancer.

  • Lower your risk of cancer recurrence (the cancer coming back). This is most important for people who have had breast or colorectal cancer in the past.

  • Improve your cardiovascular (heart) health.

  • Control your weight and improve your body image. Body image is how you see yourself and how you feel about the way you look.

  • Improve your quality of life and mental health.

  • Keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy.

  • Improve your ability to do activities of daily living (ADLs). Examples of ADLs are eating, bathing, using the bathroom, and grooming (such as brushing your teeth and combing your hair).

  • Keep you from falling.

How much?

Try to get at least 150 to 300 minutes of exercise at a moderate level of intensity every week. You can do this by exercising for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

What Kind?

Cardiovascular- Heart rate elevated

Strength Training- Aim for 2 to 3 strength training sessions a week. These sessions should focus on your major muscle groups: your chest, shoulders, arms, back, abdomen (belly), and legs. Examples of strength training exercises are push-ups and sit-ups, using resistance bands, and lifting weights.

Stretch: Stretch your major muscle groups at least 2 times a week.

Exercise Intensity Levels

Exercise intensity is how hard your body is working when you’re exercising. It’s a measure for how hard a physical activity feels to you while you’re doing it. There are 3 exercise intensity levels: light, moderate, and vigorous.

When your healthcare provider says its safe for you to start exercising, try doing light-intensity exercises first. Once you’re comfortable doing those exercises, you can try moderate-intensity exercises, which are more challenging.

Usually, when you’re doing light-intensity exercises:

  • You’re not out of breath.

  • You do not break out into a sweat.

  • You can talk and sing without stopping for a breath.

Usually, when you’re doing moderate-intensity exercises:

  • You breathe faster, but you’re not out of breath.

  • You break out into a light sweat.

  • You can talk but not sing.

Resources

When you want technology to help you track your progress and are not sure where to start.

Here are some recommendations:

  • Oura Ring

  • Fitbit

  • Whoop

  • Apple Watch

  • Apple Health kit

  • My fitness pal

  • Noom

When it’s been a while since you’ve exercised:

  • Start at a comfortable level and add a little more activity as you go along.

  • Choose something you like to do.

  • Many people find walking helps them get started. Before you know it, you’ll be doing more each day.

  • Some people also find that getting active with a friend makes it easier to get started.

For When you Need a motivation boost:

  • Gretchen Rubin the four tendencies

  • Atomic Habits

  • Gretchen Rubin 21 strategies for habit formation

  • The Power of habit

When you just don’t have the time:

Integrate exercise into your day to day routine!

  • Ride your bike. If it’s cold out, you can get a bike trainer. This tool can turn your regular bike into a stationary bike that you can use indoors.

  • Walk around your neighborhood after dinner. If the weather is bad, you can walk around in a mall.

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

  • Scrub your bathroom.

  • Wash and wax your car.

  • Play active games with your kids, such as freeze tag or jump rope.

  • Weed your garden.

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

  • Use a treadmill or do arm curls, squats, or lunges while watching TV.

  • Walk to lunch.

  • Park your car in the farthest parking spot and walk to where you’re going.

  • Use the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

  • Get off the bus or subway a few stops early. Walk the rest of the way to where you’re going.

  • Set reminders on your phone to remind yourself to take a 10-minute walking break.

  • Form a walking club with friends.

  • Set reminders on your phone to remind yourself to stand up and move once every hour.

When you want to be cost effective in your fitness goals:

You do not have to join a gym or buy fancy equipment to be active. Play tag with your kids. Walk briskly with your dog for 10 minutes or more.

Other Helpful Resources for getting started:

This site provides resources from the Exercise Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK).
www.mskcc.org/research-areas/topics/exercise-oncology

Research Studies in Exercise & Cancer: