The Benefits Of Staying Active During Cancer Treatment

We all know that exercise is good for us — it helps with strength, sleep, energy, and even mood.

But what you might not realize is just how important movement can be during something as life-altering as cancer treatment.

Research shows that physical activity during and after cancer care doesn’t just improve fitness — it can reduce fatigue, improve your ability to manage daily tasks, and even lower your risk of future cancer and other illnesses.

That’s why physical therapy plays a powerful role in cancer care.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, currently undergoing treatment, or navigating life after remission, movement can make a difference — and we’re here to help.

At Capitol Physical Therapy, we support people before, during, and after cancer treatment with customized physical therapy plans that meet you where you are.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how physical activity — and cancer-focused physical therapy — can help you feel stronger, move with more ease, and take back control of your everyday life.

Is It Safe To Exercise During Cancer Treatment?

For the majority of people with cancer, exercising during treatment is completely safe.

In fact, it can even help patients with cancer cope with the side effects of treatment.

And that’s not all; research indicates that physical activity during treatment may decrease your risk for developing new cancers in the future.

For instance, a 2021 study by Brown and Gilmore credits exercise for both reduced risk of cancer recurrence as well as death.

It’s also safe both before and after cancer treatment.

So, whether you’re living with a new diagnosis, are currently undergoing treatment, or have finished treatment and are ready to get your life back on track, exercise is a great tool.

How Physical Activity Can Help With Cancer Treatment

There are lots of benefits to exercising during your cancer treatment.

Firstly, exercise can help you manage the side effects of treatment.

According to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, regular exercise can help reduce side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

It helps decrease fatigue and improve your ability to perform daily tasks.

Along with physical therapy, surgery recovery times can decrease with exercise as well.

Your physical therapist will create a personal treatment plan with you that will address your specific areas of need and limitations.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of exercise during cancer treatments.

It Keeps You Healthy Overall

We all know that exercise is an important component in staying healthy in your day to day life, and this is just as true if you are battling cancer.

In general, exercise can help by:

• Improving strength
• Improving balance
• Improving mobility
• Helping manage your weight
• Improving your quality of sleep
• Reducing insomnia
• Strengthening your bones

And exercise benefits more than just your physical health.

Exercise can also improve mental health, by reducing your risk of depression and anxiety.

If you’re already active, maintaining some sort of exercise and wellness program during your cancer treatment will also help you return to your normal levels of activity when you finish treatment.

It Can Improve Treatment Outcomes

Yes, you read that right.

Being active can actually improve your treatment outcomes as a patient with cancer.

We discussed this briefly above, but let’s explore further.

Exercise can help improve your body’s response to cancer treatment in a few different ways.

Firstly, exercise can decrease treatment related fatigue.

It also helps to maintain and improve strength in your heart and lungs, which are obviously very important parts of your body.

They’re especially important during treatment.

After all, your heart pumps blood and subsequently helps deliver medications through your body, and your lungs provide oxygen to your brain and body.

Regular exercise can also help decrease hospital stays for patients who have had surgery for lung cancer.

Exercise might also help increase your survival rates of breast, bladder, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

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It’s Good For Your Mental Health

Physical activity helps you connect with your body and brain more, which in turn can help reduce depression and anxiety.

Unfortunately, but understandably, depression and anxiety are often common among cancer patients.

Being active during your treatment can help combat this by improving symptoms of depression and anxiety.

It can also provide you with a feeling of control over your body, which can also improve your mental health.

Exercise also often helps people sleep better.

Your quality of sleep is usually tied to your mental health.

The less sleep you get, the more symptoms of depression and anxiety may crop up.

When you’re exercising regularly, you’re also improving your ability to sleep and therefore improving your mental health.

It Reduces Your Risk Of Other Illnesses

While it might sound too good to be true, it is actually true that exercise can help reduce the risk of developing other illnesses along with your cancer.

Exercise decreases your risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes, which can often occur alongside certain cancers.

Exercise can also reduce your risk of developing other cancers.

The benefits of exercise during cancer treatment include a lower risk of colon, breast, uterine, and lung cancer.

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Cancer Treatment Exercise Tips

Now that you know exercise can help, you might wonder how to go about exercising when you have cancer.

It’s important to start slowly and listen to your body when it comes to exercising during your cancer treatment.

This is true even if you were active before your cancer treatment.

Your body is experiencing new limitations of energy and possibly side effects of medications, so your tolerance for exercise may be lower than it used to be.

Your exercise tolerance may also vary day to day, which is why it’s especially important to listen to your body.

It’s important to exercise frequently, so prioritize exercising several times a week for shorter periods of time (at least ten minutes) over long stretches of exercising.

Make sure you warm up before you start exercising and stretch after to help maintain your range of motion and comfort.

Sometimes it’s also easier to add exercise to your daily routine than to plan out specific time for exercise.

This could look like:

• Walking your dog after dinner
• Walking or running on a treadmill at home
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• Doing Pilates or yoga in your living room
• Using a fitness tracker like a smart watch or smart phone app to track your daily steps and try to increase them
• Going for a bike ride
• Weeding your garden

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How Can A Physical Therapist Help With Cancer Treatment?

Having a physical therapist to help you come up with a safe exercise plan can be an excellent idea.

Your physical therapist can make sure you’re monitoring your body well and not doing too much or too little.

They can also help you coordinate your needs directly with your doctor and other members of your care team.

This way, everybody knows exactly what you need from exercise and how your treatment will impact you.

Physical therapists can also help you set goals and maintain a varied exercise routine to make sure you’re addressing your flexibility, strength, and stamina without overdoing it.

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Book Your Appointment With Our Physical Therapy Clinic Today

Cancer treatment affects more than just one part of your body — and recovery should support your whole self.

Exercise and physical therapy can make a real difference, helping you feel stronger, more energetic, and more in control throughout your journey.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or navigating life after remission, our physical therapy clinics are here to support you every step of the way.

At Capitol Physical Therapy, our team of physical therapists will work with you to build a safe, personalized movement plan that fits your goals and helps you heal.

You don’t have to face this alone — let’s build your recovery plan together.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today to take the next step toward strength, healing, and peace of mind.