How You Help Your Body Heal - Before Surgery

Written by Dr. Valena Wright, MD

Peer reviewed by Dr Peter Rawlek, MD, and Dr Scott Rollo, PhD

Your Body is About to do Something Extraordinary.

In the weeks before surgery, the most powerful steps you can take are to move your body every day - walk, practice gentle strength exercises, and nourish yourself well.

I know that very few women with cancer do structured exercise aimed at improving their health. Women who do both aerobic and resistance (strength) training have fewer complications, faster recovery, better quality of life, and, more importantly, improved disease-free survival.

Choose Self-care First.

The work, or whatever excuse you can name, is not the priority.

Skeletal muscles are considered endocrine organs that release myokines (hormones) in response to muscle contraction, influencing our physiology and how we feel. Myokines directly suppress tumor growth, reduce cancer cachexia, and enhance anti-tumor immunity. Myokines also improve obesity related inflammation, a known cancer risk, especially for women with uterine and some types of ovarian cancer.

Aerobic exercise, even 5 minutes beyond your baseline, can impact how you feel. Start with a 5-minute walk on most days and add a few more minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week. This is the goal recommended by the American Cancer Society for the general population ( there is limited data for women with Gynecologic Cancers).

Adding resistance training will have the greatest impact in the few weeks before surgery.

Your gluteus muscle, the largest muscle in your body, is the target.

The gluteus muscles’ most essential function is powerful hip extension and stabilization of the pelvis during movement. Without a strong gluteus muscle, standing up from a bed, climbing stairs, walking uphill, or standing on one leg without losing balance becomes difficult.

Weakness in this muscle is associated with an increased fall risk and the need for inpatient rehabilitation rather than discharge home.

Simple exercises like glute bridges, sit-to-stand (Chair squats), and standing marching can noticeably improve your strength and stability before surgery.

Exercise prescriptions are now a key component of cancer care for women, especially before surgery.

More research is needed, but if exercise were a pill, everyone would take it.