Personal trainer Holly Perkins, whose clients include women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, knows how regular exercise can ease some common side effects, and head off complications from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

By Holly Perkins

As a personal trainer for the past 14 years I've had the opportunity to work with several women as they battle breast cancer. While every woman has a different and very personal experience with the disease, I have found there's some fitness advice that helps in every case.

1. Do Not Fear Your Body
This is No. 1 because it is a rule and principle that will influence your relationship with your body for life. Very often, when a woman has to deal with something attacking her body, and causing it to act in new, strange, and scary ways, she begins to think this body is not one she knows anymore -- and this leads to fear. Therefore, it's natural to want to avoid doing anything physical because you think it might cause even more harm. Be brave. Remember that the human body is resilient: Yours is repairing and rebuilding every moment and is instinctually driven toward healing.

2. Rest and Recovery Can Include Physical Activity
I'm very careful with the words I use: With women undergoing treatment, I use the words "physical activity" instead of  "exercise" or "workout." Why? Because this is a time for assisting your body's healing process and physical activity has been proven by studies to promote immune system function when done at the appropriate intensity. It doesn't mean that this is the time for attempting your fastest 10K; you'll reap many benefits from light to moderate physical activity (check out a few suggestions below). 

Light to moderate activity is defined as exercising at 50 to 65 percent of your maximum ability. This might be hard to estimate, so I have my clients use a one-to-10 scale where one represents sitting comfortably and 10 represents your hardest physical effort. At any time during an activity, take a quick assessment of the total experience of the activity and rate your perceived exertion on that scale; you should aim for a five or six. In my experience, the most exciting benefits from physical activity are improved body image, increased belief in the ability to conquer the disease, physical resilience, faster recovery, and improved appetite and digestion.