Exercise during chemo

The only exercise I really do right now is a slow paced tai chi class on Wednesday's and small walks here and there... I am trying to be more ambitious but doing it alone is no fun ... Hoping to start taking yoga also in September where I take Tai chi

janlanderz - Thank you for your wishes! You have reached out for help and you've got this. Taking yoga, doing tai chi and some strength training in between some walking will keep you strong not just physically but mentally as well. I work out at a gym 3-4 times a week, do yoga and walk about 3 miles a day with my dog. If it wasn't for my dog, I am not sure I would still be here!

Thank you sooooo much for inspiring me with your strength and your positive being... you have helped me in ways you will never know.. and thank your dog for me 🙂

@janlanderz Hello, and welcome to Connect. We’re not physicians here, but we can all try to share experiences and hopefully help you find answers. You’ve asked about exercise during chemo. I do know that chemo will make you tired, but that’s all the more reason to exercise. As an oncology nurse, one of the doctors we worked with had just done a study on the benefits of exercise for chemo patients. She then wrote a book but of course, I don’t know the name of it. 😑 I’ll have to look it up. Check with the oncology center where you get treated—they may have groups that exercise together. Get an OK from your doctor, but I’m sure it will be alright. Just start out slow and easy

Thank You very much Becky for you input into the exercise regime. I am pretty healthy other than knowing I have the cancer in my body. I do go to a slow paced tai chi class on Wednesday's.. and don't like going to the gym anymore due to the chemo and maybe getting a bacterial infection from the gym... I do try and walk now and again, but I know when Winter comes... those walks will be far and few between. The cancer centre I am going to does not have exercise programs but will refer you basically to community services that do, somewhat, that's how I got into the tai chi...and apparently they will be starting yoga in September that I also plan to attend. I do attend the tai chi classes at a hospice centre. I am meeting with someone late August to maybe suggest that they have a room at the hospice centre, that a person could just go work out in... maybe a stationary bike or two and some other gym equipment... the people I will be seeing are from an agency called the Compassionate Care Community that work out of the hospice centre and that's what they are all about ... trying to help people where the help is needed. I was just able to get a support group for Cancer started at one of our public Libraries by opening my mouth at a meet and greet event that was held at our public library... the first meeting will be in September.. so I am hoping this little big mouth can get more going for the Cancer Community in my Community... I am finding the depression is the real culprit getting in the way of my exercising... along with a PVT blood clot I got approximately 3 months ago...

I assume since you are volunteering your services and not using this site for advertising

@jimcarol31342 good point. Let me take this opportunity to remind everyone that Connect is an online support group where people help people. Commercial posts are not allowed on Connect according to the Terms of Use: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/
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JimCarol, have you or a loved one had cancer? What activities do you do to stay fit?

Bone builders are fun group and low impact

@janlanderz I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you! I still can’t find info on the oncologist who wrote about cancer and exercise. 😞 I’ve reached
out to former co-workers with hopes that they will have better memories than me! What I have found is that you want to return to normal activity as soon as possible, exercise will boost your quality of life and reduces fatigue. One suggestion is that you look for a physical therapist who works with cancer patients and who can design a program for you. You’ll probably need a referral from your doctor. And exercise also reduces depression, but don’t hesitate to talk with your doctor about it. I, too, have depression over my illness and exercise helps me a lot. Has your doctor said anything about the DVT blood clot? Once it has resolved, exercise should be good. Please let us know how you are doing!

Hello again Becky: I have changed oncologists as the first one did not even follow up with me on the PVT clot... amongst other things... He sent a nurse in two days after my PVT clot which was diagnosed at the outpatients at the hospital, during my chemo treatment to ask how I was feeling... that's it...
I have only seen my new oncologist once, and will be seeing her again on August 29th ... I have written down quite a few questions to ask her that I only find via the internet or sites like this... I had to resort to internet information since the first oncologist never really told me anything about my cancer really... I once asked him if he was looking into any clinical trials for me..and his answer was if I find anything to let him know... I responded by saying to him that I wouldn't even know what to look for as he is the one that knows my cancer and the numbers and whatever goes with it...
I am really in the dark about my cancer other than knowing that I was first on Carboplatin with Premetrexed for about 5 chemo sessions... and now just on Premetrexed and that my tumours have shrunk. When I insisted on an appointment with the first oncologist regarding my PVT clot... I did ask him if I should exercise... he said no at that time... but did say to walk on it alot and do stairs to get the blood flowing.. my leg at that time was three times the size it should of been.. everything seems okay with the leg now.. swelling has totally gone down...took almost 2 months before it started going down, but now is basically back to it's normal size...Clot was 8 cm and was above my thigh... but swelled my whole leg right down to the toes.... I still feel some stiffness in the bottom part of my leg and ankle and sometimes I feel a bit of numbness and tingling. and now am on Eliquis for life 🙁
I am now walking a bit more and doing an incumbent bike (about 5 minutes a day).. and tai chi on Wednesdays... I also try to do the 8 pieces of brocade in tai chi at home in the morning... takes about 15 minutes... i plan on starting yoga at the hospice centre in September where i now take the tai chi.
I will ask my new doctor about exercise on the 29th however. I will also see if there are personal trainers that deal with cancer patients through the cancer centre where I get my chemo every 3 weeks presently... I will also put this on my list of questions for the new oncologist... I am hoping for a bit more compassion with this oncologist... I am basically on this journey alone... my family lives about 1200 miles from me and I have chose not to tell my mom about the cancer... she is getting on in years and I don't want to shorten her life by her worrying about me... it won't fix my cancer... my sisters who live far away and my children know and do call once in a while to see how I am doing ...