How to stay active every day

Your treatment team will usually show you the first exercises that you can perform.

The following exercises will help you get started, however, you should discuss all exercises with your treatment team before beginning training.

Abdominal muscle training

The abdominal muscles are important for supporting the body. Together with the back muscles, they stabilise you and are involved in almost every movement that you make.

Exercise 1: Isometric tension

Isometric exercises do not involve any movement. Just holding a position in place for some time can strengthen your muscles. Lie on your back with your legs bent and raise your pelvis. Pull your tummy in and press your lower back, the lumbar spine, into the support. There should be no space between the lumbar spine and the support. Keep the spine pressed to the floor. Your abdomen will become tense by holding this position. Hold the tension for 20 seconds and repeat ten times.

Exercise 2: Getting out of bed

It is important to avoid stretching the scar after recent surgery. Therefore, when getting out of bed, you should get up from a lying position to a sitting position in a certain way. Lie on your back and bend your legs. Then turn to one side. While doing this, support your scar by applying light pressure with the hand that is furthest from the bed during the rotation. With the elbow you are lying on, push yourself up from the bed into a sitting position and at the same time push both legs out of the bed. Continue to stabilise the wound with the other hand. Finally, place both feet firmly on the floor.

Exercise 3: Stabilising the upper body

Sit upright. Both feet are on the floor. Your knees should be above your feet. Tilt your straight upper body forward, remain in this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise slowly ten times. Make sure that your back remains straight at all times.

Ask your doctor for a prescription for a physiotherapist. Your physiotherapy team can show you other exercises that will help.

Author: Susanne Schwengler, B.Sc | Reviewer: Dr. Christian Keinki

Sources:

Abdominal Exercises to Help You Get Back Into Shape After Surgery. (2022, July 9). Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/strengthening-abdominal-muscles-after-surgery-1943056
McMillan, A. (2022, January 13). 7 Abdominal Surgery Preparation and Recovery Tips. Evansville Surgical Associates. https://www.evansvillesurgical.com/7-abdominal-surgery-preparation-and-recovery-tips/
Achinger, R & Steenebrügge, A (2002): Kinästhetik in der Pflege: Projekt Präoperative Anleitung. In: Pflegezeitschrift 10/2002. S. 705-708, abgerufen am 10.12.2020 von http://www.kinaesthetics.de/fachartikel/Pr%C3%A4mobilisation%20S.705_708_Achinger1.pd
6 Post-Operative Abdominal Rehabilitation Exercises | Performance Health. (2020). Performance Health. https://www.performancehealth.com/articles/6-post-operative-abdominal-rehabilitation-exercises

Should I exercise if I’m undergoing treatment for cancer?

If you are undergoing surgery

Gentle exercise is an excellent way to assist your recovery.1 Take it easy in the weeks after the operation to give your body the chance to recover. Gentle exercise, like taking walks every day, is a good way to rebuild strength while avoiding complications from being inactive, such as blood clots. To start with, try taking several 5–10 minute walks throughout the day, and gradually increase your daily activity level. It’s best to avoid impact sports, strenuous exercise, and heavy lifting for 6 weeks. We advise talking to your physician for detailed and personalised recommendations to guide your recovery.

If you are undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy

Physical activity can have multiple benefits – particularly the reduction of fatigue. By moving your body frequently, you can maintain your fitness and shape better, and this can help to keep fatigue at bay. It’s highly recommended to break up periods of inactivity with regular movement, and to exercise more vigorously if you feel up to it.² Depending on how you feel, that might just mean getting up to wander around the house. But if you feel up to it, there’s nothing to stop you doing more energetic aerobic or resistance training!

If you have bone metastases

Balancing exercise recommendations against the increased risk of bone fractures can be a delicate task – however, this shouldn’t prevent exercise entirely. The risk of complications is highly personal and is affected by the characteristics of your bone metastases, your treatment journey and other personal factors. For many people with bone metastases, low-impact exercise can still be beneficial despite the increased risk of fractures, and can reduce treatment side effects, maintain fitness, and improve quality of life.³ We strongly recommend consulting with your care provider and a qualified exercise professional to assess your risk of skeletal complications, and to understand what kind of exercise is safe for you.