Many people with cancer lose fitness, muscle mass and strength, and find it harder to do normal everyday tasks. Exercise can improve physical function and fatigue and help you regain strength to get back to your daily activities.
Learn more about:
- Overview
- What are the benefits of exercise?
- How much exercise should I do?
- Video: Exercise and cancer
Overview
If you have cancer, you may think you need rest. But studies show being active helps most people before, during and after treatment. Many people with cancer lose fitness and strength, making daily tasks harder. Exercise can improve fatigue and help you get back to regular activities.
What are the benefits of exercise?
Exercise is important for everyone’s overall health and wellbeing, but it has a range of general benefits for people with cancer. It may:
- improve how you respond to treatment (for some cancers)
- reduce the risk and severity of side effects of cancer treatments
- reduce complications from surgery and time spent in hospital
- help treatment recovery by increasing energy levels, reducing muscle loss, strengthening bones, and improving mobility and balance
- improve sleep and fatigue, and relieve stress, anxiety and depression
- help maintain a healthy weight
- improve or reduce the risk of certain health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes
- reduce the risk of some cancers coming back, including breast, prostate, bowel and endometrial (uterine) cancers
- boost mood and self-esteem
- offer new ways to meet people and socialise
I started working with an exercise physiologist, building up my body and also walking an hour every day, seven days a week
Ann Maree
How much exercise should I do?
| Why is exercise important for cancer patients? | The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) recommends that exercise should be prescribed to all cancer patients as a standard part of their cancer care to help manage the effects of cancer and its treatment. Talk to a doctor, accredited exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or clinical nurse consultant about the best way you can be physically active. |
| Start gradually | Think about your whole day and aim to sit less, move more, add exercise where possible and get enough sleep. Start with small amounts of physical activity (e.g. a gentle 5-minute walk). Even a little bit of exercise can have benefits. Over time, increase how often, how hard and how long you move. |
| Get active | If you have no side effects of concern and have talked to your doctor, aim to build up to the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults and Older Adults, which suggest: • several hours of light intensity physical activity daily (e.g. standing up, moving around the house or walking around the shops) • functional activities targeting mobility, balance and coordination 3 or more days a week (e.g. gardening, tai chi, dancing • muscle strengthening activities 2 or more days a week • 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity on most days or 2.5 hours a week (e.g. a brisk walk, cycling). |
| Sit less | Try to limit the time you spend sitting down. Break up any long periods where you aren’t moving (e.g. working, watching TV). Tracking daily activity can help set and meet goals. You could aim for 7000 steps a day as a guide. See Tips for Moving More |
| Sleep well | Aim to get 7–9 hours sleep (7–8 hours for people 65 years and older) and have a regular time for going to bed and waking up. |
→ READ MORE: Treatment side effects and exercise
Video: Exercise and cancer
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Key resource
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All updated content has been clinically reviewed by Dr Kirsten Adlard, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, National Heart Foundation of Australia and The University of Queensland, QLD. This edition is based on the previous edition, which was reviewed by the following panel: Kirsten Adlard, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The University of Queensland, QLD; Dr Diana Adams, Medical Oncologist, Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, NSW; Grace Butson, Senior Physiotherapist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Kate Cox, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Wai Yin Chung, Consumer; Thomas Harris, Men’s Health Physiotherapist, QLD; Clare Hughes, Chair of Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee; Jen McKenzie, Level 1 Lymphoedema Physiotherapist, ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The McKenzie Clinic, QLD; Claudia Marck, Consumer; Dr David Mizrahi, Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre at Cancer Council NSW and The University of Sydney, NSW; Prof Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, WA; Jason Sonneman, Consumer.
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