Moving your body is an important part of prehab.
It helps keep you strong, active, and feeling better during cancer treatment.
You can be active before, during, and after treatment.
You may need to adjust your activities depending on your treatment and symptoms. Speak to your cancer team for advice.
Why moving helps
Being active can help you to:
- Keep your muscles strong
- Have more energy
- Feel less tired
- Help your heart and lungs
- Feel better in yourself
- Cope better with treatment
- Recover more easily
Even a little bit of movement helps.
How much should I do?
Try to move your body most days.
This could be:
- Walking
- Climbing stairs
- An exercise video at home
You do not need to do a lot at once.
Something is better than nothing.
If you are already active, great, keep it up before treatment starts.
You may need to change your routine during treatment, depending on how you feel, speak to your cancer team for further advice.
Types of activity
Activities that get you moving
- Walking
- Dancing
- Swimming (if safe for you)
- Cycling
- Exercise videos at home
Activities that make you stronger
- Sitting and standing from a chair
- Using light weights or bands
- Carrying shopping
- Gardening
- Pilates
During treatment
Some days you may feel tired.
That is normal.
On those days:
- Do less
- Move gently
- Take rest when you need to
On days you feel better, try to move a little more. Even if it’s just getting out of the house for a short walk.
Listen to your body.
Staying safe
- Start slowly
- Warm up before you move
- Cool down after
- Stop if you feel pain, dizzy, or unwell
If you are unsure what is safe for you, speak to your healthcare team.
Exercise and pain
Exercise can help reduce pain.
When you move your muscles and joints:
- You stop them getting stiff
- You build strength
- Stronger muscles help protect your joints
Keeping active can make everyday tasks easier.
When is pain okay?
When you start a new exercise, it is normal to feel:
- Muscle soreness the next day
- Or even up to 2 days later
This is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).
It means your muscles are working and getting stronger.
When should I stop?
If you feel sharp pain in your muscles or joints during exercise:
- Try making the exercise easier
- Use lighter resistance or weight
- Do fewer repetitions
If the sharp pain does not go away, stop the exercise.
Ask your Physiotherapist or Cancer team for advice.
If you have any new pain or symptoms during your treatment, that is affecting your movement, please speak to your cancer team.
If you have surgery, you will have some pain after, starting to move gently is generally safe, and can even help improve pain, but never push through pain.
Do listen to the instructions from your surgical team about any restrictions you may have after surgery.
Here are some ideas for exercise you can try at home:
