Exercise after Cancer

Why should I exercise after a cancer diagnosis?

Surviving cancer and making it through cancer treatment are major accomplishments. Most, if not all, survivors find a new priority in life: keeping cancer from returning. Research has shown that exercising after a breast and bowel cancer diagnosis can help reduce the risk of your cancer from coming back. Exercising after cancer can also help you feel better and improve your overall quality of life and well being.

The benefits of exercise after cancer

Exercise has many of the same benefits for cancer survivors than it does for other people. The benefits include

• Reduce Risk/Recurrence of Cancer  
• Better weight control and management  
• Faster metabolism
• Greater endurance 
• Slower heart rate
• Lower blood pressure
• Improved cardiovascular function
• Improved capacity to use oxygen
• Improved cholesterol profiles 
• Improved blood sugar regulation
• Improved flexibility 
• Better coordination and balance
• Strengthened immune system 
• Prevention of osteoporosis  
• Protection against coronary heart disease
• Less depression and anxiety 
• Extension of active lifetime

How much exercise should I do to help reduce the risk of my cancer coming back?

Studies have shown that exercising at a moderate intensity for 2-3 hours a week can help reduce your risk of a bowel or breast cancer recurrence. Moderate exercise is when you are doing an activity that increases your breathing and heart rate and you become warm or sweating slightly. You are exercising at a comfortable pace and are still able to hold a conversation.
If you have had a cancer experience and are thinking about getting active always check with your doctor or GP first before starting. They can advise you on the type and amount of exercise that’s safe for you to do. It’s also important to discuss any other conditions you have, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or lung problems, as these may be affected by exercise.

Irish Cancer Society Physical Activity Programme

The Irish Cancer Society runs free exercise programmes  for women and men who have had breast and bowel cancer. The aim of the programme is to encourage and support people who have had cancer to become active and to increase their physical activity levels. This will help improve their health following a cancer experience and to help reduce their risk of their cancer coming back.
These programmes are 30 weeks long and involve people gradually increasing their activity levels over the course of the programme. The training involves a walking programme and also a light weights programme. The programme is closely supervised by trained exercise specialists.

Walking programme (cardiovascular)

This is a 30-week walking programme comprising a conditioning phase, a strength phase and an endurance phase. Your walking workouts are measured and recorded in metabolic equivalents (METs). MET’s measure how hard your body is working at.  You will need to achieve a minimum of 9 MET/hr/wk on completion of the programme – this is the minimum weekly requirement shown for lowering the risk of a recurrence of breast and bowel cancer. 9 METs is is equal to walking for 2-3 hours a week at a moderate pace.

Resistance training programme

Most breast cancer patients are left with shoulder and arm impairments which can impact significantly on quality of life. Studies have shown these side effects can be lessened by engaging in resistance training soon after breast cancer surgery. Our programme is safe and effective and designed to improve your range of motion, muscular strength, muscular endurance and quality of life.

Read the report of our pilot physical activity programme for breast cancer survivors here.

• Reduce your risk of cancer
• Diet
• Be active
• Breast cancer
• Bowel cancer
• Living with cancer