Excercise during Treatment ok?

Shanagirl, I don't know the answer to your question.    I had a lumpectomy and rads but no chemo, and I was able to exercise some throughout the process (though definitely cut back substantially).  You might try posting your question on one of the "during treatment" boards since more people would probably see it there and you would get more helpful responses.  I am sorry you are going through this and hope you are able to exercise some, I know when I was unable to run after surgery and some of the time during rads I found it frustrating, like I was losing another part of "normal" life to treatment.  Hang in there!

If you want to start really slow and protect yourself while having resistance, try the pool.  The trainers taught me a lot of activity with noodles and foam anklets and wristlets that were very helpful, but not hurtful or over doing it.  It's a good work just to walk in the pool in water up to your neck.  The water's resistance is all you need in the beginning.

If you are up to back stroke laps, and don't over do them, you will use all your muscles and get a good overall experience.

Hi - maybe I can give you a little good news.

Exercise and cancer:  to cut a long story short, I have read numerous articles/studies and here is what it comes down to.  Exercise of the 10,000 steps per day variety is absolutely fine for helping to prevent recurrence.  If you want to do more than that (and I too like wieght training and other things at the gym) then that is fantastic, but it doesn't mean to say that you will up the anti on helping prevention.  Have you googled around on this topic - please do because you will be thrilled and I think, reassured that walking regularly will do you loads of good.  Even if you can't yet make the 10k steps, aim to do regularly what you can do.  Say 4000 steps.  Do get a pedomter though, it is useful for info and good for your morale.

Another encouraging thing - the exercise doesn't all have to be done in one hit.  So you could split things up and do even three short walks per day, until you are back to usual health.

My onc is very keen for people to get exercise and I agree with everything all the other ladies have said here.  The onc told me she didn't want me in the gym weight lifting yet though - but I think this is because she is convinced I live life too much in the fast lane!!

If you google to find articles about fatigue from chemo or rads etc, each and every one of them states that people feel better for doing some exercise, both in terms of lestening fatigue, and also their mood.  All you or anyt of us need to do is use our common sense.

I couldn't do anything much for a while post surgery and using my Tanita electronic scales was dissapointed to find I had lost some muscle.  (roughly 4  pounds of muscle) right after a month of not doing much.  Good news - I started walking again, and am now up to what I was a month before surgery, so it doesn't take long to catch up.  My surgery was June 24th).

Lastly, if you go onto hormone therapy post chemo, walking or any of the exercises the other ladies mention, definitely keep SEs to a minimum in my experience.

Arms : maybe you could do the "press ups against the wall" exercise?  You just stand against the wall, maybe a foot off, and push away from the wall rather like you would if you were doing floor press ups.  To make it harder, you move further from the wall.

Hope this helps and fantastic best wishes to all -