Fitness for Breast Cancer Recovery and Beyond

If you follow the guidelines in our Strength & Courage: Exercises for Breast Cancer Survivors DVD, you can begin exercising the day after surgery. Within a few months, after you have regained your flexibility, you should be ready to begin weight training and aerobic exercise. Over time, with regular use, you may even find that you become stronger than ever before!

Home Care After Surgery

The exercises we demonstrate in our DVD should be done as part of your overall breast cancer recovery program. From the comfort and privacy of your own home, you can work at your own pace to resume the range of motion and strength you had before your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

As you recover from your surgery and work through the exercises on our DVD, always listen to your body. If you were athletic prior to your diagnosis and treatment, many of these exercises and recommendations will be familiar. However, before resuming any of the exercise routines you had prior to your diagnosis and breast cancer surgery, be sure that you:

• Complete all of the elements of your home care after surgery.
• Consult your doctor.
• Can comfortably complete all of the exercises demonstrated in our program.

Overview of Exercises for Breast Cancer Survivors

The following is the order in which we recommend you complete the exercises we’ve selected as part of your home care after breast cancer surgery:

• Chapter One: Posture Exercises - Can usually be completed the first day after breast cancer surgery.
• Chapter Two: Post-Op Exercises - Can be completed shortly after breast cancer surgery, when your drains are removed, with clearance from your doctor.
• Chapter Three: Flexibility Training - Only to be completed after Chapters One and Two are mastered.
• Chapter Four: Weight Training – Only to be completed after Chapters One through Three and receiving clearance from your surgeon.
• Chapter Five: Aerobic Exercises - Can be reviewed early in the course of treatment with Chapters One and Two.

Regain Your Health Through Exercise

The exercises presented in Strength & Courage are an integral part of an effective breast cancer rehabilitation program.