Prehabilitation: improves your Cancer survival and Lowers Surgery Complications
Your cancer care does not have to be passive.
You can be active in your cancer care by incorporating healthy lifestyle changes.
When it comes to cancer surgery, the best way to reduce the risk of complications, improve your survival, and increase your speed of recovery is through prehabilitation.
Prehabilitation (or “prehab”) is a proactive approach to cancer care.
It increases your body’s resistance against cancer treatment.
If prehab is so powerful, why did my oncologist not mention anything about doing prehab?
Unfortunately, hospitals are not set up for prehab work. Doctors often schedule surgery as soon as possible to remove your tumor.
So, ultimately, prehab is your responsibility to initiate.
And the good news is, in this blog, you will learn:
What prehab is
The benefits of using prehab as part of your cancer care
How to get started with prehab
How to design your prehab exercise program
Prehab involves preparing your body with lifestyle changes, like nutrition and exercise, before cancer surgeries or treatments.
What is “prehabilitation”?
Prehab is a preventative exercise plan that prepares your body to handle the stress of treatment.
Prehab is a 3-12 week program that usually occurs between your cancer diagnosis and cancer surgery.
A prehab plan often includes :
A diet rich in protein.
A muscle-and-strength-building exercise plan
A cardiovascular endurance-building routine.
Your body’s ability to resist cancer treatment will depend on
How well your muscles can repair after surgery
Your heart’s ability to pump enough blood while you are in surgery.
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and/or immunotherapy put your
body under extreme stress.
The more resilient your body is at handling the stress, the fewer side
effects you will feel, and the better your cancer recovery will be.
Prehab is the work you can do to make your body more resilient.
Unfortunately, many hospitals are unable to provide prehab
services to their patients,
but you can create a prehab plan with the help of your cancer
exercise specialist and a cancer-certified dietician.
While in treatment “failure to plan, is also planning to fail.”
Research shows that survivors who can resist cancer treatment are less likely to experience unbearable cancer treatment side effects.
Between 20-60% of cancer survivors don’t get their full treatment
because they don’t have a plan to help them become more resilient
to cancer side effects.
While not everyone on cancer treatment is affected the same, the
cancer side effects can be severe for some people.
One of the best ways to reduce the side effects you experience is
through a prehabilitation plan.
If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for
ways to maintain your strength, quality of life, and energy during
treatment, click below to apply for cancer prehabilitation.
Why prehab Should Be Part of Your Care Plan
When you exercise and nourish your body with what it needs before cancer surgery, you will be able to experience:
1. FASTER RECOVERY
A faster recovery means shorter hospital stays and reduced medical bills.
It also means you get to return to work faster and continue to work in your career and passion.
Faster recovery through prehab helps reduce the need for
“postoperative interventions,” which just means that even when
surgery goes well, your risk of complications isn’t over.
After surgery, 2% of cancer survivors end up hospitalized for blood
clots, and 20–30% of patients experience moderate to severe pain.
You can reduce your risk of many cancer treatment complications
by starting a prehabilitation plan that strengthens your body.
A well-planned prehab program can actually help you reduce your
medical bills by 30% and reduce your length of stay in the hospital
by 3-5 days.
2. LESS PAIN, NAUSEA, NEUROPATHY, AND FATIGUE
Cancer treatment saves lives, but only if you can get the required dose on schedule.
Research shows that the more you stick to your treatment, the better your survival.
However, 20-60% of cancer survivors need to change their treatment because they can’t handle the side effects.
This is why your prehab plan must be built with your cancer treatment and medical history in mind.
If you need more than 5 lymph nodes removed or radiation, weightlifting will need to be an important part of your exercise plan to reduce the risk of lymphedema.
If you have been experiencing nausea, a 90-minute, low-intensity walk a week has been shown to reduce an upset stomach.
If you are getting a major surgery, flexibility exercises will help you get the full range of motion and prevent frozen shoulder.
Your prehab plan is about being proactive in the prevention of complications and can be adjusted to any needs that you may develop.
How to start Prehab
Prehab is individualized and should be tailored to your needs.
The most effective prehabilitation plan is personalized to:
Your age
Treatment schedule
Treatment regimen
Nutrition preferences
Click the image to learn more about how consistency plays a role in your prehab plan.
To get started:
1. Talk to your oncologist.
Your oncologist will know when you are starting treatment and when each phase of treatment needs to be completed. It is important to plan your prehab according to your treatment regimen.
2. Meet with an oncology-certified dietician and cancer exercise specialist.
Your hospital may offer access to these specialists free of charge, but be mindful that each referral within the hospital may take several weeks or months to get. If you need an immediate consult for prehabilitation, click here for a free exercise consult.
3. Stay Committed.
Consistency is key in prehab. Sticking to your care plan prepares you to see the results you are expecting. The journey ahead is not easy but by maintaining a routine, you will be able to experience success in your treatment.
4. Prepare your body for exercise.
Focus on exercises that strengthen your core (i.e. pelvic tilts, gentle core contractions, and seated marches), stay hydrated, and prioritize your rest and recovery.
How to design your prehab exercise program
An effective prehab plan emphasizes 2 things:
Weight Training. Prehab weight training helps reduce strain on the body, which can contribute to a smoother surgical experience and lower risk of complications by preparing your bones, muscles, and joints for surgery.
Cardio. Prehab cardio helps prepare your heart for surgery and enhances overall lung function and circulation. Better breathing and circulation can support faster recovery by ensuring that tissues receive adequate oxygen and nutrients.
The prehab phase of training is a more intensive approach to training, as prehab needs to occur before surgery and thus you may only have 3-6 weeks of exercise before surgery.
For Weight Training During Prehab
Reps: 6-15 reps
Sets: 2-3
Rest: 1-3 minutes
Exercises: 3-8
Frequency: 3-4 days a week
At 3 days a week: You should exercise your full body 3x a week
At 4 days a week: you want to have 2 days of lower body and 2 days of upper body
One is not better than the other. It will just depend on your
schedule and preference.
Weight training will help support your muscles.
Better muscle support can help prevent muscle imbalances and
reduce the risk of strain or injury during rehabilitation.
During your workouts, you want to prioritize core training.
Core training is often ignored but should be a priority before cancer
surgery, as it will aid in quicker recovery after surgery.
Strengthening exercises can also help reduce pain and discomfort
from your back back and abdomen after surgery.
Two core exercises to include into your routine to help you regain
function and mobility quickly is the
Glute Bridge
Plank
These are two incredible exercises that help strengthen multiple muscles in your back, stomach, and hips.
This will lower the risk of hernias, back pain, and abdominal muscle weakness that occur after surgery.
Cardio During Prehab
Frequency: 3-5 days a week
Intensity : moderate intensity ( Heart rate ~115 beats per minute or greater)
Time : 20-60 minutes
Type: Rowing, elliptical, brisk walk, dancing, and water aerobics, etc.
High-intensity exercise is fine to incorporate, as long as you are cleared by your oncologist.
High-intensity exercise only requires 75 minutes at a minimum a week.
The benefit of cardio is that it lowers the risk of complications
during and after surgery.
Your heart is the muscle that keeps you alive during surgery, and a
strong heart maintains circulation while in cancer surgery.
But once cancer surgery is complete, your arteries need to be able
to let blood circulate throughout your body, and a strong heart and
flexible arteries will help reduce complications.
While both cardio and strengthening exercises are necessary, they do not have be be done separately.
In fact, you can do them on the same day or combine them.
At Oncolofit, we have created a full workout guide that combines cardio and strength-training exercises to help you prepare for surgery and fight cancer.
The combination of cardio and strength gives you the benefits of both types of exercise in a shorter amount of time.
It comes with 101 free workouts that can be done anywhere, along with “how-to” exercise videos so you know how to do the exercises.
Click below to receive your workout plan directly to your email.
Click the image to get your free workout guide.
Lastly, Focus on building muscle
Emphasize your sleep and protein intake to build muscle during cancer treatment.
Without proper strength training, adequate sleep, and enough protein it will be hard to build enough muscle to sustain your body during cancer treatment.
Therefore, before treatment, make sure you are eating enough protein every day in every meal.
Your oncology-certified dietician will provide you with the number of grams of protein that is right for you.
But, in general, you want want to shoot for 20-30 grams of protein per meal, and 15 grams of protein before lifting weights.
Eating enough protein will ensure you have enough energy to help restore muscle as it breaks down.
Now, protein is not the only thing you need to build muscle.
Your body also needs adequate sleep. Sleep is the key to helping your cells repair.
Sleep is when your body flushes out the “old dead cancerous cells, and rebuilds stronger healthier cells”
Sleep is your body’s reset button.
Make sure to get a quality 7-9 hours of sleep at night.
And if you haven’t been able to sleep since your cancer diagnosis, try exercising. Exercise has been shown to help you fall asleep faster and into a deeper sleep after cancer.
Get started with prehab today
Prehabilitation—exercising before treatment—can help you stay stronger, recover faster, and improve your quality of life.
Whether you're preparing for surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, building strength now can make a huge difference.
I specialize in 1-on-1 online coaching for cancer patients and survivors, creating personalized exercise programs that fit your needs, energy levels, and goals.
Let’s get you feeling confident and prepared for the road ahead!
Start your prehabilitation journey today! Book a free consultation now and take the first step toward a stronger, healthier you.
📅 Click below to schedule your consultation!
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