Should cancer patients exercise during treatment?

Highlights For a complete Q&A with Anna Schwartz, an expert on exercising during cancer treatment, click here. As is the case with anyone starting a new exercise program, it’s a good idea for people with cancer to first talk to their cancer care team. See the American Cancer Society’s guidelines for physical activity.

For most people, exercising during cancer treatment is counterintuitive. After all, one’s body is already struggling to fight off the cancer and endure the treatment. Why would anyone want to make things even tougher? Well, in one of those great ironies of life, doing the right types of exercise while in treatment for cancer actually has health benefits – both physical and emotional. So, as a caregiver, you may want to encourage your loved one to participate in at least some activity.

According to Anna Schwartz, FNP, PhD, FAAN, “people who start slowly and don’t overextend … feel better right away. You usually feel benefits in the first or second session,” she says. Schwartz, a cancer survivor herself, is professor and chair at Scottsdale Health Care Research at Arizona State University and has spent many years studying how exercise affects cancer patients.

There are many benefits of physical activity.

• Actually reduces fatigue; not only during treatment, but also after.
• Helps maintain or even increase fitness.
• Helps get the blood circulating – reinvigorating the body.
• Helps improve bone and muscle strength.
• Helps improve quality of life.
• Helps people maintain their mobility and independence.
• Can stimulate the appetite – a good thing for those who are having a hard time getting the nutrition they need.
• Helps with weight maintenance.
• Makes you feel good about yourself and improve your overall view of your situation.

The key is doing the right types of activities.

But how do people know what types of exercise are the right types? On their own, people may not know. Certainly, those who have always been active can continue being so, but they may want or need to reduce the intensity of the exercise and/or the amount of time they do it.

However, if your loved one has not been active, you might want to ask the doctor for a referral to a physical therapist. Or look into an exercise rehabilitation program at a nearby cancer center or hospital. In either case, these practitioners are skilled at recognizing problem areas and at teaching people to work with their limitations – through aerobic and other exercises that help to strengthen weakened areas.

If your loved one elects to use a personal trainer at a nearby gym or health club, be sure the trainer works with your loved one’s medical team in order to avoid injuries. The type of cancer, the treatment being used, and the side effects your loved one is having are things that must be taken into account when creating an exercise program. While exercise can certainly help during cancer treatment, doing the wrong types of activities can be dangerous to your loved one's health.

Earlier this year, a new cancer specialty certification was launched to train health and fitness professionals to work with people who have or have had cancer. The focus of the specialty is on safety while exercising. The new cancer specialty certification is available through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in collaboration with the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society is here to guide you and your loved one through every step of the cancer experience, so your loved one can focus on getting well. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.