This collection of videos offers mobility, strength, endurance, core, and stretching exercises tailored for young cancer survivors. You can mix and match these routines based on your energy levels, equipment available, and guidance from your healthcare or exercise professional.
Always check with your healthcare team before starting or changing your exercise routine, especially during or after cancer treatment.
Mobility 1
Includes:
- Cat-camel
- Good morning with fitness stick
- No money
Exercise explanations:
- Cat-camel: Performed on hands and knees, gently alternate between rounding your back up like a cat and dropping your belly toward the floor. This mobilizes your spine and helps ease stiffness.
- Good morning with fitness stick: Standing tall with a stick resting lightly across your upper back, hinge forward at the hips with a straight back, then return to standing. This improves hamstring and hip mobility while gently activating your back muscles.
- No money: Usually done with elbows bent at your sides, rotating your forearms outward while squeezing the shoulder blades together. It promotes shoulder external rotation and posture awareness, especially helpful after long periods of sitting.
Mobility 2
Includes:
- Scapular retraction
- Crossed prayer
- 90/90 hip mobility
Exercise explanations:
- Scapular retraction: Gently drawing the shoulder blades back and down, either standing or seated, to strengthen the mid-upper back and improve posture.
- Crossed prayer: Arms crossed in front, hands together in a “prayer” position, moving gently to stretch the upper back and shoulders.
- 90/90 hip mobility: Sitting with both legs bent at 90 degrees (one in front, one to the side) and rotating between sides. This enhances hip rotation and mobility, useful for walking, squatting, and daily activities.
Upper Body Strength 1
Includes:
- Push-ups (adapted with knees)
- Bent over row with band
- Front raise with band
Exercise explanations:
- Push-ups (knees): Performed from a kneeling position, lowering your chest toward the floor and pushing back up. This targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps with reduced load compared to full push-ups.
- Bent over row with band: Hinging at the hips, pulling a resistance band toward your body. This strengthens the upper back and rear shoulders, supporting posture.
- Front raise with band: Lifting the band in front of you to shoulder height with straight or slightly bent arms. This trains the front of the shoulders and helps with tasks like lifting or reaching.
Upper Body Strength 2
Includes:
- Shoulder Y raises
- Triceps kickback with dumbbells
- Bicep curl with dumbbells
Exercise explanations:
- Shoulder Y raises: Lifting the arms in a “Y” shape (slightly out to the sides) to strengthen the upper back and shoulder stabilizers.
- Triceps kickback with dumbbells: Leaning forward and extending the elbows to move the dumbbells back, working the triceps on the back of the arms.
- Bicep curl with dumbbells: Bending the elbows to lift the weights toward your shoulders, targeting the biceps and assisting with daily lifting tasks.
Lower Body Strength (No Equipment)
Includes:
- Squat
- Forward lunge
- Glute bridge
Exercise explanations:
- Squat: Sitting back as if into a chair and standing back up, working the thighs, hips, and glutes.
- Forward lunge: Stepping forward and lowering both knees, then pushing back. Great for leg strength, balance, and coordination.
- Glute bridge: Lying on your back with knees bent, lifting your hips. This focuses on glutes and lower back, helpful for posture and reducing back strain.
Lower Body Strength (With Equipment)
Includes:
- Barbell deadlift
- Goblet squat
- Monster walk with band
Exercise explanations:
- Barbell deadlift: Lifting a barbell from the ground by hinging at the hips. It strengthens the back, glutes, and hamstrings. Technique is very important—use light weight and guidance at first.
- Goblet squat: Holding a weight (e.g., dumbbell or kettlebell) at chest level while squatting. This adds core engagement and helps keep your chest upright.
- Monster walk with band: Walking side-to-side or diagonally with a resistance band around the legs. This activates the hip abductors and glute muscles, supporting knee and hip stability.
Core Strength 1
Includes:
- Frontal plank on forearms
- Bear squat
- Dead bug
Exercise explanations:
- Frontal plank on forearms: Holding a straight line from head to heels or knees while supported on forearms. This trains the deep core and supports spine stability.
- Bear squat: From a “bear” position (hands and feet on the ground, hips elevated), shifting weight back and forward. It challenges the shoulders, core, and legs.
- Dead bug: Lying on your back, moving opposite arm and leg while keeping the lower back stable. Excellent for core control and coordination.
Core Strength 2
Includes:
- Mountain climber
- Bird dog
- Side plank on forearm
Exercise explanations:
- Mountain climber: From a plank, alternating knees toward the chest. It combines cardio and core work.
- Bird dog: From all fours, extending opposite arm and leg, then switching. This improves balance, back stability, and core strength.
- Side plank on forearm: Supporting your body on one forearm and the side of one foot or knee, working the side core (obliques).
Full Body Strength 1
Includes:
- Walkout push-up (adapted with knees)
- Row with band and squat
- Thruster
Exercise explanations:
- Walkout push-up (knees): Walking your hands out from standing into a plank, performing a knee push-up, then walking hands back. This works the shoulders, chest, core, and hamstrings.
- Row with band and squat: Combining a squat with a band row to train legs, back, and posture at the same time.
- Thruster: A squat followed by a press overhead with weights, providing a full-body strength and power movement.
Full Body Strength 2
Includes:
- Front raise with dumbbells and squat
- Biceps curl with dumbbells and reverse lunge
- Barbell row and deadlift
Exercise explanations:
- Front raise with dumbbells and squat: Squatting while lifting dumbbells in front to shoulder height combines leg and shoulder strength.
- Biceps curl with dumbbells and reverse lunge: Stepping backward into a lunge while curling the weights, training arms, hips, and balance together.
- Barbell row and deadlift: Alternating or combining rowing and deadlifting patterns to strengthen the entire posterior chain (back side of the body).
Endurance 1
Includes:
- Jumping jacks
- Skipping
- Aerobics V step
Exercise explanations:
- Jumping jacks: A classic full-body cardio move to raise heart rate.
- Skipping: Can be done with or without a rope, improving coordination and stamina.
- Aerobics V step: Stepping forward wide into a “V” and back to center, a lower-impact aerobic step pattern.
Endurance 2
Includes:
- Pop squat
- Skater
- Scissor drills
Exercise explanations:
- Pop squat: Jumping or stepping feet out into a squat and back in, training legs and cardio.
- Skater: Side-to-side “skating” jumps or steps to improve lateral movement and balance.
- Scissor drills: Fast forward-backward foot switches, enhancing speed, coordination, and endurance.
Stretching 1
Includes:
- Half-spinal twist
- Pigeon
- Doorway stretch
Exercise explanations:
- Half-spinal twist: A seated or lying twist to gently mobilize the spine and stretch the back and hips.
- Pigeon: A hip-opening stretch (often from the floor) targeting the glutes and hip rotators.
- Doorway stretch: Using a doorway to stretch the chest and shoulders, counteracting rounded posture.
Stretching 2
Includes:
- Frontal and side-to-side prayer
- Psoas stretch
- Triceps and lat arm stretch
Exercise explanations:
- Frontal and side-to-side prayer: Hand/arm positions that stretch the shoulders, upper back, and chest.
- Psoas stretch: A hip flexor stretch (often in a lunge or half-kneeling position) to relieve tightness from sitting.
- Triceps and lat arm stretch: Overhead or side stretches for the back of the arms and sides of the torso, helpful after upper-body work.
Mobility and Core Strength
Includes:
- Gorilla squat
- Standing Pallof press
- Travelling crab
Exercise explanations:
- Gorilla squat: A deep squat with hands possibly on the floor, encouraging hip mobility and leg strength.
- Standing Pallof press: Pressing a band straight out in front while resisting rotation, a powerful anti-rotation core exercise.
- Travelling crab: Moving in a crab-walk position, working shoulders, triceps, core, and hips.
Mobility and Stretching
Includes:
- Quadruped T-spine rotation
- Half-kneeling arm rotation
- Triangle
Exercise explanations:
- Quadruped T-spine rotation: From all fours, rotating one arm up toward the ceiling. This improves upper back (thoracic) mobility.
- Half-kneeling arm rotation: In a half-kneeling stance, rotating or sweeping the arm to open the chest and shoulders.
- Triangle: A standing yoga-inspired pose that lengthens the side body, hips, and hamstrings.
Upper & Lower Body and Core Strength 1
Includes:
- Pull-apart with band
- Wall sit
- Static beast and shoulder taps
Exercise explanations:
- Pull-apart with band: Pulling a band apart at chest level to strengthen the upper back and rear shoulders.
- Wall sit: Sitting against a wall with knees bent, holding the position to build thigh and glute endurance.
- Static beast and shoulder taps: In a low quadruped or bear position, tapping alternating shoulders. This challenges core stability, shoulders, and coordination.
Upper & Lower Body and Core Strength 2
Includes:
- Overhead press with band
- Calf raises
- Plank cross-knee alternation
Exercise explanations:
- Overhead press with band: Pressing a band overhead from shoulder height to strengthen the shoulders and upper back.
- Calf raises: Rising up onto the balls of your feet to build calf strength and ankle stability.
- Plank cross-knee alternation: From a plank, bringing one knee toward the opposite elbow, combining core strength and mobility.
Strength and Endurance 1
Includes:
- Pull-apart with band and squat
- Biceps curl with band
- Butt kicks
Exercise explanations:
- Pull-apart with band and squat: Combining upper-back work with squats to train back, hips, and legs together.
- Biceps curl with band: Curling the band toward the shoulders for arm strength.
- Butt kicks: Jogging or marching in place while kicking heels toward the glutes, a light cardio and hamstring drill.
Strength and Endurance 2
Includes:
- Barbell row
- Lateral lunge with a biceps curl with dumbbells
- Squat jump
Exercise explanations:
- Barbell row: Pulling a barbell toward the body from a bent-over position to build upper and mid-back strength.
- Lateral lunge with biceps curl: Stepping to the side into a lunge while curling the weights, training inner/outer thighs, hips, and arms.
- Squat jump: An explosive squat to jump movement that improves power and cardiovascular fitness (can be modified to a regular squat if jumping is too intense).
General Tips for Using This Library
- Start with short sets (e.g., 20–30 seconds or 8–10 repetitions) and build up gradually.
- Mix mobility, strength, endurance, and stretching across the week.
- Choose lower-impact options on days when you feel more fatigued.
- Stop and seek medical advice if you experience chest pain, severe shortness of breath, dizziness, or unusual symptoms.
