hi, I am 5 weeks post last chemo and 5 days post second surgery and I am sitting here unable to get motivated to get back into exercising. I am having all good intentions to go out for a walk, but my body is refusing to budge. Yet my body knows how miserable I am feeling for not doing any exercising. I have put on weight since having chemo. Before this diagnosis I regularly did weights, rode my bike on the wind trainer, did Zumba and walked. It's like my body has just decided to reject all forms of exercise I suggest to it. Normally I can motivate myself but since being diagnosed with breast cancer I am not feeling motivated How do I get off my butt and get motivated. AGHHHHHHH Are we allowed to ask if others live near us that would like to go walking?

Hello, I remember how hard it was to get moving after treatment finally ended. The secret for me was to aim very small. I had been pretty fit before diagnosis and even managed to exercise through the first 9 weeks of chemo but then I ended up in hospital and never really got to exercise during the next 3 months of treatment. So to get myself off the couch I started extremely small - just 10 minute walk. What I found was once I started my fitness came back pretty quickly. Often I would start my 10 minute walk and end up doing 20 or even 30 minutes. The important thing for me was to just get back to a regular, every day routine. I started an exercise diary and wrote down anything that could even remotely be considered exercise. That helped with motivation. I also found it helped to understand that exercise has been shown in research studies to have a significant impact on your chance of recurrence. I never wanted to have to go through this again, so that was also very motivating. The main thing was to not compare what I could do before with what I could do at first. I had to remind myself that my body had been through a traumatic few months and I needed to go gently but consistently. Before I knew it I was feeling so much better. It really does help with the mental side of recovery. One little step at a time. Take care and let us know how you go. Deanne xxx

Yep I hear you I just got back in to a routine of going to the gym and my knee went. I have had a athroscope and it is not healing as quickly as I hoped. I feel the same with the motivation, I'm finding it tough. I'm on eave at the moment and going to really try to get back in to it, good luckxx

I tried to keep exercising through chemo as it really helps my mood as well as my weight...but the last 4 weeks of taxol just sucked all energy out of me and I have managed very very little the last 3 weeks. I finished my chemo last week....still on herceptin. I am exhausted. I actually now consider attending an appointment and then a quick supermarket visit as exercise as I am exhausted when home again. However...I know this isn't enough. And yes....as said aim small. Even 5 minute stints of walking around the yard 3 times a day will help. I have found a fitbit or similar device really helpful and just track your normal steps to start with and aim each week for a thousand more per day. I'm joining into a cancer treatment exercise program held through the local YMCA here at Broken Hill hopefully next week. It is 45 minutes...which scares the crap out of me presently but will try. I do manage at least once a week a pool visit and just walk up and down and do my arm exercises and attempt some laps. I am wiped out the next day...but I do love it. I did aquafit during AC but not on taxol. My pre cancer diagnosis fitness was good....mobile job, gym session 4 days week, zumba 1 day and swimming on weekends. Pffft....now a shower exhausts me. But we will get there.

hi Vinn2016 You can ask if anyone is local to you. I am in rural NSW where are you ? I would love to have a walking partner and take it slowly. Like the others I couldn't exercise while I was on chemo and it took me months afterwards to even walk 1km without being a write off the next day. Now I can do 5 kms without being a write off but I have slowly increased it. I dont get to walk everyday but I would love a walking buddy. While going thru chemo my kids helped me by walking me around our 2 acre fenceline. One step at a time is how we do it after treatment. I have a miband lot cheaper than a fitbit but does basically the same thing. it helps me see what I am walking each day. take care Alice

You can ask anyone! If you don't have anyone local to you why not start with an on-line connection and motivate and report one another? I struggled to get moving for a long time after my mastectomy, however I also suffered a lot of anxiety in relation to reconstruction options. Eventually I found that exercise was the best way to work through my anxiety and I can sleep again. I started slow too - just getting out the door and around the block was the first step each day. K

motivation to exercise | BCNA Online Network

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Deanne
Member
10 years ago
Hello,

I remember how hard it was to get moving after treatment finally ended. The secret for me was to aim very small. I had been pretty fit before diagnosis and even managed to exercise through the first 9 weeks of chemo but then I ended up in hospital and never really got to exercise during the next 3 months of treatment.

So to get myself off the couch I started extremely small - just 10 minute walk. What I found was once I started my fitness came back pretty quickly. Often I would start my 10 minute walk and end up doing 20 or even 30 minutes. The important thing for me was to just get back to a regular, every day routine.

I started an exercise diary and wrote down anything that could even remotely be considered exercise. That helped with motivation. I also found it helped to understand that exercise has been shown in research studies to have a significant impact on your chance of recurrence. I never wanted to have to go through this again, so that was also very motivating.

The main thing was to not compare what I could do before with what I could do at first. I had to remind myself that my body had been through a traumatic few months and I needed to go gently but consistently. Before I knew it I was feeling so much better. It really does help with the mental side of recovery. One little step at a time.

Take care and let us know how you go.

Deanne xxx
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