Regaining Strength and Confidence After Breast Cancer Treatment

Sarah Newman, Cancer & Exercise Specialist and Founder of Get Me Back gives her expert guidance on how to get you moving safely and gradually regaining your physical strength after treatment.

You may feel exercise and feeling strong may feel impossible after undergoing breast cancer treatment, but it’s important to continue being active and to do so in the right way. 

Where to begin

Starting again with exercise can feel overwhelming but breaking it down into simple steps can make the process more manageable and reassuring. The most important thing is to approach movement safely and at your own pace.

The first and most vital piece of advice to help you get strong after breast cancer surgery is to make sure you do everything your physio tells you, pre and post-surgery and radiotherapy. 

Religiously do these exercises as regularly as instructed, to ensure your shoulder mobility is not restricted. 

Stand Tall – how to work on your posture

Trauma to any area of the body will naturally, and often subconsciously, make you want to protect the affected area. After breast cancer treatment, this can show up in your posture — the shoulders rounding forward or the chest tightening, as if to shield the area. This is especially common following a lumpectomy, mastectomy, or reconstruction, but the same can happen if you’ve had treatment to the abdominal area, such as a DIEP reconstruction, where fat and skin is used for breast reconstruction.

Over time, these protective patterns can lead to stiffness, discomfort, and reduced movement in the shoulders, back, and chest. 

The good news is that simple posture awareness and gentle exercises can help restore openness and alignment.

Try the following:

• Check in with your posture – Stand in front of a mirror or close your eyes and notice how you’re holding yourself. Are your shoulders rounding forward? Is your chin jutting out?
• Reset your stance – Place your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, and gently lengthen through the spine as though a string is lifting you from the crown of your head.
• Open your chest – roll your shoulders slowly up, back, and down, letting the chest gently lift. Imagine your collarbones widening.
• Engage your core -lightly draw your belly button towards your spine to support your lower back without tensing.
• Practice regularly – spend 1–2 minutes a few times a day standing tall, breathing deeply, and resetting your posture. Over time, this helps retrain your body away from protective patterns.

Strength training

Once you’ve regained some mobility and confidence in your movement, the next step is to begin strengthening. Strength training doesn’t have to mean lifting heavy weights straight away — it’s about gradually introducing resistance to help rebuild muscle, improve posture, and support everyday activities. Start light, using resistance bands, tins of food, or small hand weights, and increase gradually as your body adapts.

When progressing into upper-body strength after breast cancer treatment, it’s useful to focus on three foundations:

• Breathing for rib cage mobility: effective strength starts with good breathing mechanics. Practicing deep, controlled breaths that expand and contract the rib cage helps activate the intercostal muscles (between the ribs), improve chest mobility, and support more efficient movement patterns.

• Chest opening and flexibility: before adding significant load, it’s important to counteract the forward-rounding posture that treatment can create. Regularly stretching the pectoral muscles (the chest muscles) helps open the chest and set the body up for stronger, more upright posture. Everyday objects at home — such as doorways or rolled-up towels — can be used to support these stretches.

• Upper back and shoulder strengthening: Strong upper-back and shoulder muscles are essential for good posture and shoulder stability. Begin with simple, controlled exercises that isolate the smaller stabilising muscles (such as rows or band pull-apart) before progressing to heavier lifts. Using resistance bands or light weights is an excellent starting point.

By establishing these foundations, you create the strength and stability needed to safely move into more challenging resistance exercises.

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Discover the power of strength training

My mission is to support people affected by breast cancer to gradually feel stronger and more in control of their bodies during and after treatment. Strength training doesn’t need to mean lifting heavy barbells (although it can, if that’s your goal). It can be anything from simple bodyweight movements to resistance bands, dumbbells, or household objects — all of which can make a significant difference. 

Research shows that strength or resistance training just twice per week can provide a wide range of benefits during and after breast cancer treatment, including:

• supporting bone and joint health – crucial after menopause, resistance training helps maintain bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
• preventing muscle loss – cancer treatments, particularly chemotherapy, can cause muscle wasting (sarcopenia), but strength training helps to preserve muscle mass.
• reducing treatment-related side effects – regular strength training has been shown to ease joint pain and stiffness, particularly in those on aromatase inhibitors or experiencing medically induced menopause.
• boosting energy levels – resistance exercise is associated with reduced cancer-related fatigue and improved daily functioning.
• managing weight and body composition – incorporating resistance training can help reduce treatment-related weight gain and improve metabolic health.

In short, strength training is not only safe for people living with and beyond breast cancer — it’s one of the most effective tools to support recovery, independence, and long-term wellbeing.

Strength training safely after breast cancer

There are important precautions to consider, but that doesn’t mean you need to avoid weights or resistance training altogether. With the right guidance, strength training can be both safe and transformative. Research shows that women affected by breast cancer can safely progress from using resistance bands to lifting kettlebells, dumbbells, and even barbells — with appropriate supervision and gradual progression  

Always check with your oncology team before starting and, where possible, seek support from a cancer rehab specialist who can guide you towards the best exercises and ensure you’re using the correct technique.

 Safety guidelines for strength training 

• prioritise mobility first – work on shoulder mobility and control before adding load, so the muscles in your upper body are moving effectively and safely.
• start light and progress slowly – begin with minimal resistance, test how your body responds over a few days, and then gradually increase the challenge 
• be mindful of lymph node treatment – ff you’ve had surgery or radiotherapy involving the lymph nodes, you’ll always have a higher risk of lymphoedema. This shouldn’t stop you from exercising — in fact, research shows progressive resistance training does not increase lymphoedema risk when introduced gradually (Schmitz et al., 2009) — but specialist guidance is essential.
• avoid wrapping resistance bands tightly around your hands or legs.
• limit long (over 45 seconds) static holds such as planks; these can put extra pressure on lymphatic areas. You may still progress towards these in time, but caution is key.
• allow recovery – take at least one rest day after a strength training session. Gentle activity, such as walking, is a great way to keep moving while supporting recovery.
• don’t compare to your pre-cancer self – if you lifted weights before cancer, avoid measuring progress against your past numbers. Focus on building strength safely in the here and now.
• keep it enjoyable – exercise should be something you look forward to. Find a trainer, class, or training partner who motivates and supports you. Choose an environment that makes you feel good, whether that’s outdoors in the fresh air or in the comfort of your own home.

‘ I genuinely believe that, done in the right way, anything is possible after breast cancer. You can regain strength, confidence, and control of your body. If you’d like personalised guidance on safe upper-body strength training after treatment, I’d be happy to support you.’ Sarah Newman

Book an appointment with a breast care nurse: online and in-person

Need to speak to a breast care nurse about your breast cancer diagnosis? Book a free appointment with a breast care nurse online or in person in London, at Future Dreams House.

What We Do | Future Dreams

Future Dreams provides practical and emotional support for those diagnosed with breast cancer, promotes health awareness and funds vital secondary breast cancer research. Come visit us at our gorgeous house in London, or join a group online wherever you are.

References:

1. Campbell KL, Winters-Stone KM, Wiskemann J, et al. Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors: Consensus Statement from International Multidisciplinary Roundtable. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(11):2375-2390. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31626055/
2. Schmitz KH, Campbell AM, Stuiver MM, et al. Exercise is Medicine in Oncology: Engaging Clinicians to Help Patients Move Through Cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2019;69(6):468-484. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7896280/
3. Patel AV, Friedenreich CM, Moore SC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable Report on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer Prevention and Control. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(11):2391-2402. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31626056/
4. Winters-Stone KM, Neil SE, Campbell KL. Attention to principles of exercise training: a review of exercise studies for survivors of cancers other than breast. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(12):987-995. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23293010/
5. Schmitz KH, Ahmed RL, Troxel A, et al. Weightlifting in women with breast-cancer–related lymphedema. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(7):664-673. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19675330/

About the author

Sarah was treated for cervical cancer during pregnancy in 2018, an experience that inspired her to launch her fitness business, Get Me Back, in 2019. She is a qualified CanRehab Level 4 Cancer & Exercise Rehabilitation specialist and a certified Breast Cancer Rehab Coach. Sarah supports people affected by cancer both virtually and in person in the Surrey countryside, and she also delivers regular exercise classes for the breast cancer charity Future Dreams.

Further information

Future Dreams hold a range of support groups, classes, workshops and events to help you and your carers during your breast cancer diagnosis. These are held both online and in person at the London-based Future Dreams House. To see what’s on offer and to book your place, see here.

To return to the homepage of our Information Hub, click here where you can access more helpful information, practical advice, personal stories and more.

Reviewed January 2026

The information and content provided in all guest articles is intended for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice. It is important that all personalised care decisions should be made by your medical team. Please contact your medical team for advice on anything covered in this article and/or in relation to your personal situation. The content of this article was created by Sarah Newman and we accept no responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of the contents of this article. Please note that the guest author of this article has not been paid to write this article. There may be alternative options/products/information available which we encourage you to research when making decisions about treatment and support. The links and/or recommendations in this article to third-party resources are for your information and we take no responsibility for the content contained in those third-party resources. Any product recommendations made in this article are not product endorsements and unless otherwise stated, they are made without any affiliation to the brand of that product. We ask you to note that there may be other similar products available.