Exercise Before A Mastectomy

There is currently no generally accepted exercise program for women about to undergo a mastectomy. Breast cancer exercise regimens are specifically tailored for women who are post-mastectomy and designed to help them recover from side effects of the surgery such as stiffness and fluid accumulation in the affected arm. But because research shows that women who engage in normal fitness exercises, such as walking, after a mastectomy have a higher survival rate, cancer surgeons generally recommend you continue moderate daily exercise in the days before your surgery or start an exercise regimen if you have been vegging on the couch. Exercise will strengthen your body and may increase your post-mastectomy survival chances.

Research Favors Exercise

A 2005 article in "CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians" describes a study of 2,987 breast cancer patients done by Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard Medical School and her colleagues. The researchers found that after 10 years of tracking, 92 percent of women who exercised three to five hours per week, the equivalent of a half-hour each day, were still alive, as opposed to 86 percent of those who got less than one hour a week of physical activity.

Getting Started

If you have not been exercising regularly or eating a balanced diet and need guidance, ask your cancer surgeon or the cancer specialist who will be supervising your post-mastectomy care for referrals to a physical therapist and a dietitian who have experience with breast cancer patients. A physical therapist can create a simple exercise program that will help you build up your strength to face surgery, and a dietitian can help you design meals that will enable you to lose weight and get better nutrition.

Modify Your Exercises

As someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer, it is important that you protect your breasts and the lymph nodes in your chest and arms from any further injury in the days before your mastectomy, especially if you have undergone a breast cell biopsy or any type of pre-mastectomy exploratory surgery. Avoid high contact sports and exercises where you could be hit in the chest and upper arms, such as tennis. Instead, focus on low-impact sports and exercise, such as swimming, walking and gardening.

Ask Your Doctor

Some cancer surgeons may recommend specific exercises to strengthen muscles that will be needed for the reconstruction that follows the removal of your breast. Be aware that because there are different types of breast reconstruction, exercises that might work for one woman may not be correct for another. For example, Kathy Steligo's 2005 text, "The Breast Cancer Reconstruction Guidebook," suggests a half-hour daily pre-mastectomy program that includes exercises such as situps or stomach crunches designed to prepare for a breast reconstruction that will use abdominal muscles or tissue.