Lung Cancer Exercise Swaps

Getting a lung cancer diagnosis can affect how exercise feels. You may get breathless more quickly and feel tired after activities that once left you energized. Lung cancer alone can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation can make these symptoms worse, rob you of your appetite, and cause muscle weakness. But these symptoms don't mean you need to give up exercising. Simple swaps and accommodations can help you stay active. And that can help improve cancer symptoms and side effects.

Whether you're someone who goes to the gym often  or who has never worked out, physical activity is an important part of your lung cancer treatment. Research shows that exercise can increase strength and endurance while decreasing emotional issues like anxiety. Regular exercise is shown to improve quality of life by reducing treatment side effects and complications, too. You may even feel less breathless, and some studies show that exercise may be able to help your immune system fight cancer by reducing inflammation.

Most lung cancer patients can start or continue some form of running, but pace goes out the window.  One tip when you're running is to use the talk test: If you can't speak in short sentences, you're working too hard. Alternating running and walking on flat terrain and doing shorter sessions can help you stick with your training program. Building in recovery days between runs can help to plan a safe return to running while undergoing treatment.

Doctors say that the less muscle mass you have going into cancer treatment, the more likely it is that you'll have side effects and toxicities. Having good muscle mass may even improve your outlook, since muscle wasting is responsible for at least 20% of all cancer deaths. Weight training can protect against declining muscle mass. Take a whole-body approach two to three times a week. Think lighter weights and more reps so you can fatigue the muscles without getting out of breath. You can also use your own body weight for movements like squats, pushups, and crunches.

Yoga and pilates are good low-impact options, because they're focused on building strength and mobility through poses and breath. Both forms of exercise give cancer patients benefits such as improved mood, lower stress, and improved quality of life. Yoga can help with side effects such as sleep issues, loss of appetite, and nausea and vomiting. Pilates can help with pain. Using equipment like blocks, mats, and straps can make the exercises more comfortable and safer, too.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a tough cardio workout even for people who don't have cancer. Once you're diagnosed, the focus of HIIT ("going until you become breathless") may be too much. Speak to your doctor before starting or continuing a HIIT program. If you get the go-ahead, swap all-out effort for whatever your own personal limit is for that day. Fewer reps, longer rest intervals, and lower-impact moves – like marching instead of jumping jacks – can work to your advantage. One rule of thumb: If you can talk, you're exercising at the right level.

Team sports help you socialize and get in shape. But sports like pickleball, basketball, and tennis can be demanding cardio exercises. If you have a regularly scheduled match, there are swaps you can do to help you stay in the game. Even something as simple as switching from singles to doubles in tennis or pickleball will make it easier for you to play. If you're still too winded, try playing ping-pong. It's worth the effort, as team sports are also about community and removing them would be a great loss to your workout plan.

Some of the best exercises are low impact, easy to start, and can help with managing your symptoms and mental health. Programs like The American College of Sports Medicine's Moving Through Cancer program can help you find resources and cancer exercise specialists who can assist with lower-impact exercise options (like walking or using light weights). Finding the right options– including those that help you move your body safely and manage symptoms like shortness of breath–might involve some trial and error.