• Uses large muscle groups repeatedly and is usually done over an extended period.
• Causes your heart and breathing rates to rise.
• Increases your ability to use oxygen, which improves heart, lung and muscle fitness.
• With time, strenuous tasks become easier.

• Makes your muscles work harder than usual against some sort of resistance.
• Strength or resistance training is also known as weight training.
• Over time, improves the size, quality and capacity of your muscles.

• Can help to stretch your muscles.
• Improve your flexibility or how far you can move – also called your range of motion.
• Include yoga and Pilates.

• Being able to stay upright or in control of your body movement.
• Often done by being still (static) but sometimes also by moving (dynamic).
• Improve stability, which can help to prevent falls.

Losing fitness can make fatigue worse, but low intensity exercise can help you stay fit. Try to keep active and build your muscles and adjust how hard and often you exercise. Some people find that short, frequent aerobic and cardio sessions are easier; others prefer strength and resistance training, where you can take a rest between sets.

Low red blood cell and/or haemoglobin count is a common side effect of cancer treatment. Symptoms include unexplained tiredness and fatigue. Combined with good nutrition, exercise has been shown to improve anaemia. For mild or moderate anaemia, try low intensity exercise, with a gradual increase in intensity and/or duration. If anaemia is severe, ask an exercise professional about what exercise to avoid until it improves.

If muscles aren’t being used, they can get smaller and weaker. Lost muscle strength is a side effect of some hormone therapy and steroid treatment. Some treatments also leave muscles tight. Strength and resistance training improves muscle condition.

Starting an exercise program early in treatment may lower the risk of developing lymphoedema. For those with lymphoedema, regular exercise can reduce the severity of the condition and its symptoms.

Feeling anxious or depressed during and after treatment is common. Exercise helps the brain to produce chemicals (e.g. endorphins, endocannabinoids) that improve your mood.

Radiation therapy to the chest and some types of chemotherapy and targeted therapy drugs may damage the heart muscle, making it less effective at pumping your blood. Some hormone therapy drugs, low physical activity and poor nutrition may also increase the risk of heart problems. Aerobic and cardio exercise can help reduce the risk of long-term heart problems.

Cancer and its treatment, particularly hormone and radiation therapy, can have long-term effects on bone strength. Early menopause and reduced levels of physical activity may also cause bones to weaken and break more easily (osteoporosis). Resistance training and exercises where you support your own body weight can help keep your bones strong.

Some hormone therapy and cancer treatments can cause joint pain. Exercise can improve muscle size and strength, flexibility and range of motion, and increase your ability to move, which can help protect your joints and reduce pain.

Weight gain is a common side effect of many treatments, including some types of hormone therapy, and steroids given to manage the side effects of chemotherapy or immunotherapy. People with cancer may also gain weight due to inactivity. Exercise can help you manage weight gain and assist in weight loss, when necessary.

Studies show that physical activity can help improve wellbeing, sexuality, brain fog, sleep issues, anxiety, fatigue, pain and how you feel about yourself in general.

If you have cancer in the bones (bone metastases or bone mets) or myeloma, you may be at risk of a break or fracture. Radiation therapy and hormone therapy may leave bones more fragile. Choose gentle activity such as walking and swimming, and avoid contact sports, running or jumping. Resistance exercise may help by strengthening the muscles around the bones. If you have osteoporosis, consult your doctor and ask for advice from a physiotherapist or accredited exercise physiologist.

Some cancers and treatments can weaken your immune system and cause your white blood cell count to drop. This can increase your risk of developing an infection. When your immune system is not working well (called being immunocompromised), it is important to clean any shared exercise equipment before use and avoid public spaces such as gyms, swimming pools and training venues until your white blood cell count returns to a safe level.

Platelets stop bleeding in the body by forming clots. When the platelet count drops, you are at increased risk of bruising or bleeding. It is best to avoid contact sports, cycling and high-impact activities (such as jumping or boxing), as these could cause bruising or bleeding if you get knocked or fall over.

Areas of skin affected by radiation therapy can be extremely sensitive and often uncomfortable. Choose activities and clothing to minimise fabric rubbing on affected areas. Chlorine can irritate the skin, so avoid the pool if you have a rash or your skin is red.

You will need to wait for the wound to heal before starting any exercise, so follow your surgeon’s or doctor’s advice about when it is safe to begin. If you have post-surgery stiffness and pain, you may need an assessment from an oncology physiotherapist or other exercise professional. They can suggest specific exercises to reduce stiffness and pain in the affected area. Pain, weakness, stiffness and reduced movement are common after surgery, but they usually improve with time.

Surgery or cancer treatment may affect balance and coordination. This can make you unsteady and lead to a fall. Choose exercises to improve balance and muscle strength, or exercise sitting down. If your balance or coordination has been affected, avoid exercise such as riding a bike outside or using a treadmill, and avoid lifting free weights without a training partner.

Some chemotherapy drugs damage nerves, causing pins and needles and numbness in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy). This means you could injure yourself without noticing. If you can’t feel your feet, you’re more likely to lose balance or fall, so walk on even surfaces. Ask an exercise professional how to lift weights safely. Some people may find exercise machines safer to use than free weights.

Some chemotherapy drugs and other treatments can cause damage to the heart (cardiotoxicity). In this case you will need specialised exercise advice before taking on exercise.

• Can I exercise while I’m having this treatment?
• Are there any types of exercise I should avoid?
• I have a stome/port/PICC line and/or chemo pump. What precautions should I take?
• I haven’t exercised much before. Do I need to have any general health checks first?
• Can you recommend an exercise professional who has experience helping people with cancer?
• Can you help me to get a chronic disease management plan, and a referral to an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist?

• What are your qualifications? Are you accredited? By which organisation?
• Have you completed any training focused on exercise for people with cancer?
• Can you talk to my medical team about my exercise program?
• What will you consider when preparing an exercise program for someone with my medical history?
• How will I know that I am doing the exercises correctly?
• What should I do if I feel pain when exercising?
• Can I start slowly?
• What if I feel too unwell to exercise?
• How long might it be before I start to see some benefits from this exercise program?
• How many appointments are we likely to need?
• How can I exercise safely to avoid COVID-19?