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Exercises for Chemo Patients

Aug 11, 2011 | By Erica Roth

The powerful chemotherapy drugs that play a role in cancer treatment can produce a long list of debilitating or disheartening side effects, including nausea, hair loss, fatigue and depression. While you may be weak during treatment, various types of exercises may help manage some of your symptoms and lift your spirits.

Physical Effects

If you're a chemo patient, you may have a hard time dealing with the physical effects of your treatment. Feeling weak, tired and sick to your stomach is difficult but also feeds into fear, stress and depression, especially when you are faced with a terminal illness. A study published in the October 2009 issue of the "British Medical Journal" reported that exercising during chemo had a positive effect on cancer patients. The participants performed nine hours' worth of exercises every week; the activities ranged from resistance training and cardiovascular-boosting aerobic activity to more mind-calming relaxation exercises. After six weeks, the chemo patients measured higher on a muscular strength scale, had increased physical function, more vitality and less fatigue.

Cognitive and Emotional Effects

Exercise during chemotherapy may have a positive effect on your cognitive function and emotional well being. Vanderbuilt University Medical Center studied the effects of regular exercise on people who were current or recent chemo patients, in an effort to determine if physical activity can counteract chemo-related memory loss and other cognitive or mental health issues. The results of the Vanderbilt study are not yet published, but BreastCancer.org explains regular exercise during treatment plays a beneficial role in mental health. Women who were undergoing chemo for breast cancer showed an elevated self-esteem after regular workouts, as well as an increase in muscle mass and fitness.

Recommended Exercises

Aerobic exercises, such as walking or swimming, may be ideal because you can move at your own pace, and go more slowly on your bad days. Breastcancer.org recommends resistance training, such as working with hand weights or performing stretches with resistance bands, to build muscle mass and regain strength that you've lost during your illness. Yoga may be another exercise in which to participate during chemotherapy. The Yoga Journal explains that the mind-body connection and relaxation aspects of yoga can not only eliminate tension from your body, but they may also heal your spirit by taking your mind off the stress of having cancer. Yoga can also be dialed-down to a lower-impact exercise if needed; do only the poses that are comfortable and forget the positions that are painful.

Considerations

You and your doctor should create a personalized program that is based on your health. For some people who have not exercised before, the idea of beginning a new routine while undergoing demanding chemo treatments is too daunting, and based on your individual condition, may be dangerous. On the other hand, while exercising won't cure your cancer, sticking with an old routine may be comforting to people who regularly engaged in physical activity prior to their diagnosis. Just adjust your current program to fit your new energy levels and limitations.

References

Article reviewed by Lisa Dittrich Last updated on: Aug 11, 2011

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