Exercise and walking during recovery from cancer surgery | CION Cancer Clinics

As far as you walked in hospital, and no further on the first day. Several short walks around the house are better than one long one. From the next day, add a little distance each time, judging by how you feel that afternoon rather than during the walk itself. If you are wiped out by the evening, you did too much.

A dull pulling ache along the wound is normal in the early weeks and eases as you warm up. Sharp pain, pain that gets worse with each walk, or new swelling around the wound is not, and you should have it looked at. Take your prescribed pain relief on time so that walking is comfortable, rather than walking through pain.

Slow breathing exercises are usually fine and are close to what the physiotherapist teaches. Postures that stretch, twist or press on the wound wait until the surgeon clears you. Start with sitting or standing postures only, and skip anything that raises pressure in the belly, such as holding the breath or bending forward hard.

Not before the surgeon has confirmed the wound has healed underneath, which takes longer than the skin closing. After that, build up over weeks: light weights and short runs first, then more. If you had an abdominal or chest operation, ask specifically about core work and heavy lifting, because those come last.

Yes, but make the walk shorter, not absent. A few minutes to the gate and back, repeated across the day, still does the work of keeping blood and lungs moving. Tiredness after surgery improves with gentle activity and worsens with days in bed. If the tiredness is getting worse each day rather than better, tell your team.

Walking, yes, with the drain bag secured and below the level of the wound. Arm or shoulder exercises on the side of a drain depend on the operation, so do only what you have been shown. Avoid anything that could tug the tube. Once the drain is out, the physiotherapist will usually widen the movements.

It does. Walk early in the morning or after sunset, carry water, and stop in the shade if you feel light-headed. Heat and dehydration make faintness more likely in the weeks after an operation, especially if your appetite is still poor. Indoor walking in the afternoon counts just as much as a walk outside.

Being active after surgery helps you recover from the operation, cope with any chemotherapy or radiotherapy that follows, and keep muscle and appetite. Those are real benefits. This page makes no claim about the cancer itself, and your oncologist is the right person to discuss what activity means for your particular situation.