When treatment ends, many people dream of returning to the life they once had– whether that’s walking the dog without fatigue, gardening all weekend, or even returning to competitive sport. But recovery is rarely a straight line. I was recently asked in a cancer rehab session:
“I’m in recovery and I also have a hernia– can I still get back to the activities I enjoy?”
It’s such an important question– short answer. It depends. (I will give more detail for one sport, please use this as a guide for other activities or get advice). The truth is recovery doesn’t mean picking up exactly where you left off. It means re-learning, re-building, and sometimes redefining what your “new normal” looks like. And that’s not failure– it’s resilience.
What Do We Mean by a Hernia?
A hernia happens when an internal part of the body pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle of tissue. You might notice a lump, discomfort, or a pulling sensation– especially when lifting, coughing, or straining.
For many people after cancer, hernias can occur due to surgery, weakness in the abdominal wall, or changes in how the body moves. They’re very common and not always dangerous, but they do mean you need to be extra mindful about heavy lifting, explosive movements, twisting, or straining.
What Does Lymph Node Removal Mean?
During cancer treatment, lymph nodes maybe removed (often in the armoit, groin, or neck) to check for or to prevent the spread of cancer. The lymphatic system plays a role in moving fluid and fighting infection.
When some nodes are taken out, it can increase your risk of lymphoedema– swelling that happens when lymoh fluid doesn’t drain as well. This does not mean you can’t exercise (in fact, movement is actually protective!), but it does mean you need to pace yourself, avoid sudden overload, and keep an eye on on any swelling, tightness, or heaviness in the limb.
Start With Your Medical Team
if you are living with a hernia, or have had lymph nodes removed, your first port of call should always be your medical team. They know your surgical history, your treatment pathway, and the potential risks for you. Ask them:
• What activities are safe for me right now?
• Are there movements I should avoid?
• What signs should I look for that I am overloading it?
This is not about restricting you– it is about keeping you safe, so that your recovery can keep moving forwards, not backwards.
Think About the Body You Have Now
It’s natural to remember what you used to be able to do. But after cancer, surgery, or with added conditions like a hernia or lymph node removal, your body has changed. That does not mean it’s less capable– it just means a different approach.
• Fatigue: pushing through when you feel exhausted can set you back.
• Explosive effort: Big, powerful movements too soon can strain healing tissues.
• Frequency: Doing too much, too often can lead to setbacks.
• Swelling and lymphoedema risk: After lymph node removal, certain repetitive or heavy movements can increase your risk of swelling. This does not mean avoiding activity altogether– just progression needs to be gradual and guided.
Start with where you are today– not where you were before diagnosis.
Scar Recovery For Beginners
When you have surgery, your body knits the tissues back together by laying down collagen fibres. Think of these fibres like a net that connects all the layers– skin, fat, muscle, fascia, blood and lymph vessels and nerves.
If you don’t move enough: The firbres can become densly packed and stick together. This makes the scar tight and less flexible, which increases the chance of pain, restriction, or even injury later.
If you move too much, too far, too soon: You can create small traumas within the healing scar. The body responds by laying down even more fibres– this can make the scar tougher, thicker, and less mobile.
The balance: Gentle, regular movement (like a programme designed by a cancer rehab or breast cancer rehab specialist) helps guide the fibres to lie in smoother, more flexible patterns. This makes the scar stronger, but also more adaptable to stretching, bending, and everyday life.
Over time, with the right balance of movement, massage, and care, scars can become softer, less restrictive, and better integrated with the surrounding tissues. visit https://pilatestherapyandbodywork.com/scar-massage/ for more information
Build Slowly and Safely
Recovery isn’t a sprint– it’s a bit like layering bricks to build a solid foundation. A few ways to keep you safe:
• Build in private check-ins: Book a session or two with a cancer rehab specialist, physiotherapist, or trusted coach.
• Small steps: Celebrate small wins– walking further, lifting slightly more, or moving with less discomforrt. These add up.
• Communicate: Share what you are doing with your medical team and cancer rehab coach. It creates a joined up approach that’s tailored to you.
Redifining Goals: Softer Doesn’t Mean Lesser
Many people struggle with the idea that their goals need to change. But softer goals can be just as rewarding– and often more sustainable.
• Instead of “running 10k by summer, try “building up to running 20 for minutes comfortably.”
• Instead of “lifting what I did before treatment,” try “regaining functional strength for everyday life.”
Research shows that people who adjust their expectations– without giving up on activity altogether– report better quality of life, lower stress, and more enjoyment in their recovery.
Finding Your New Potential
Your new potential might surprise you. Some people go back to their sport with fresh perspective and resilience. Others find new activities they’d never have tried before. Both are victories.
What matters most is:
• Listening to your body
• Moving with awareness
• Being patient with progress
• Knowing that “normal” isn’t about going back– it’s about moving forward.
If you are living with or beyond cancer (and something like a hernia or lymph node removal on top), it can feel frustrating. It’s like a new relationship, it is going to take time, effort and consistenancy to build strength and familiarity.
Ask for help, build slowly, celebrate little wins, give yourself permission to set different but still meaningful goals.
So what does that mean for those who enjoy a specific sport, like golf for instance?
Golf involves twisting, and a powerful swing to move the golf ball. It involves the whole body, from being able to feel your arches lift and lower as you rotate, your hips being adaptable, your back strong and flexible and the ability to lift your arm and take it above your head and behind you.
You need to discuss with your medical team your desire to play golf again. Your hernia may have been repaired with surgery or left untreated.
If you are attending a cancer rehab programme, the sessions are designed to get people up and moving in all directions to manage active daily living. Your screening may have highlighted things you need to be careful with or avoid. If your screening is clear then you can ask your instructor to guide you with your technique in movements where you need to twist and lift. As you get stronger and more flexible you will move a little further and can slowly add more resistance, guided by your cancer rehab instructor. Your cancer rehab instructor is the ideal person to analyse your movement and help you. They can watch how you move and give you tips to take the load away from your surgery area, by making sure each part of the body is moving as it should. If they give you guidance to correct your technique, this will all move you closer to your goal. Working on your feet, your hips, your back and your shoulders are helping your body share the load and protect your surgery site, taking you a step closer to your goal.
If your medical team have decided a return to golf is safe, and you are moving better and your instructor feels your strength, mobility and technique are good, you might start with putting, and then lightly going through the golf swing holding your club. This will feel different to holding a weight or a resistance band and needs to be practised under control and gradually increased, always listening to your body. Then you might start at the driving range to improve your technique and mindfulness of core muscles.
Listen to your medical team, speak to your cancer rehab instructor, listen to your body– time, it takes time. There is always a risk.
, Some Resources
We are extremely lucky in East Suffolk and North Essex.
The Cancer Wellbeing Centre at Colchester Hospital can signpost you to 10 funded cancer rehab movement sessions, and other wellness therapies. Speak to them however long it is after your cancer treatment, they are ready with a listening ear, there might be something for you that is partly or fully funded. They will always be able to guide you in the right direction.
Contact them – 01206 745347 – email esneft.cancerwell-beingcentre@esneft.nhs.uk
Maggie Parkes at Clacton Leisure Centre is the cancer rehab instructor. Cancer rehab movement sessions with Maggie are on a Wednesday 11.15-12.15, gentle movement with music and a fun and friendly vibe. The cancer rehab swimming sessions are Monday 11-12, you can choose to do 10 free sessions through the wellness centre. There is also a Back to Health Scheme. It is a 12-week programme at £3 per gym session. You will need a referral from your GP or health professional. Once you have completed the 12 weeks, you can then get a concessionary membership for the next 9 months at £22.30 per month, giving you access to gym, swimming, classes and racket sports at Clacton, Walton and Dovercourt. Contact Maggie Parkes 01255 686694 or email mparkes@tendringdc.gov.uk
Harwich also has a cancer rehab instructor with sessions that are funded for 10 weeks.
I will be running cancer rehab sessions soon. I currently offer specialist Breast Cancer Rehab Sessions.
And please remember we also have 5K Your Way – Move Against Cancer in Clacton and Harwich. We meet on the last Saturday of each month. You can join us for a social walk and chat and catch up for a coffee after. Message me for more information. fi@therapyinmotion.co
For anyone else: Look at the posters on the wall when you attend appointments for treatment, very often information is displayed. Take a photo of it so you can contact them when you get home. Look in your information pack that was given to you, probably at your initial appointment. If there is a local cancer wellness centre, contact them, very often they offer services both at the centre and with practitioners locally. Some will be funded, others might be at a reduced rate. The people working at these centres are a mine of information at whatever stage of treatment or recovery you are at.
You can always pop me a message or comment for guidance fi@therapyinmotion.co