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Lifestyle after cancer - physical activity
Physical activity is really important for your physical and emotional health. It strengthens cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, reduces risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, fatigue, and improves emotional well-being.
Long periods of inactivity because of illness can lead to weakness, stiffness, fatigue, constipation, increased weight, anxiety and depression. It can be hard to tell whether these are a result of your illness, or your inactivity, or both.
If you start exercising, it’s important to talk with your doctor first to check that what you want to do is OK for you. Start slowly and gradually build up.
Becoming more active can mean doing planned exercise activities, or being more physical in your everyday life. Find a friend to exercise with - it can help to motivate you. Or go to a class, where you're exercising with others regularly.
Ways to start being active
 walk around the block , or walk with a friend or group take the stairs, not the lift get out into the garden do some stretching exercises while watching TV take a dancing class park further away from your destination and walk the rest of the way do some vigorous housework.There are three types of exercise – it’s a good idea to include all three.
Flexibility - helps you move through a full range of movements without pain, stiffness and discomfort – it also reduces risk of injury.
Strengthening – unused muscles reduce in size and weaken, and you feel less like using them. This is also called resistance training.
Aerobic or endurance – what you need to make sure your heart and lungs keep getting oxygen to your lungs. This type of exercise often uses your whole body. Your heart rate goes up, your breathing rate increases and you feel warm and may perspire.
Choose a range of activities that suit you, and that you think you will enjoy. You might be an indoor rather than an outdoor person, or a morning or evening person – choose a variety of things that appeal to you. Be kind to yourself, and reward your efforts!
As soon as you feel OK doing these, think about increasing your activity. Add resistance training for strength, increase to moderate/vigorous levels of physical activity. Get some help planning your program from an exercise physiologist.
Find out more
Go to our Online library - Care and support section
Read After your cancer treatment – a guide for eating well and being active Nutrition and physical activity section on this website
Choose health: Be Active – a physical activity guide for older Australians Physical activity resources
Exercise physiologists – see AAESS website and find your nearest professional Fitness, dance, tai chi, yoga etc classes in your local area Talk to your GP
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Info & support 
