Qi Gong During Cancer Treatment: Gentle Support for Body and Mind

Hearing the words “chemo”, “radiotherapy” or “immunotherapy” can change how you see your body overnight.

Your energy may rise and crash. Your digestion can go off. Sleep can be patchy. Muscles and joints ache in new ways. There can be brain fog, anxiety, numbness or fear, all wrapped around the appointments and scans.

If that is where you are, you are not weak. You are going through a lot.

Qi Gong offers a way to move, breathe and be with your body that is gentle, adaptable and kind. You are not asked to push or “power through”. You are invited to explore simple movements and breathing that can sit alongside your oncology treatment, always with safety first.

If you like to see how tradition meets research, you can explore Qi Gong Evidence 2025 and the condition hub Qi Gong & Cancer-Related Fatigue: What the Studies Say alongside this guide. Randomised trials and meta-analyses suggest that medical Qigong and similar mind–body exercises can ease fatigue, improve mood and enhance quality of life for people going through cancer treatment. (PubMed)

Gentle Support Online at the Bright Beings Academy

During treatment, travel, waiting rooms and infection risk can make in-person classes difficult.

Inside Bright Beings Academy you can follow soft, cancer-aware Qi Gong from home. You can stand or sit. You can keep your camera off. You can rest the moment your body asks you to.

For live, guided practice you can join Online Qi Gong Live Classes and move at a calm pace that respects treatment cycles, ports, scars and energy swings.

Why Qi Gong During Cancer Treatment?

Qi Gong is not a cure for cancer. It does not replace chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy or your medical team.

What it can do is support the parts of you that treatment puts under pressure:

• Cancer-related fatigue
  Several trials suggest that Qigong and related mind–body exercises can reduce cancer-related fatigue and improve energy compared with usual care alone. (PubMed)
  You can dive deeper into this in Qi Gong & Cancer-Related Fatigue: What the Studies Say.

• Mood, anxiety and sleep
  Studies in people receiving treatment (especially for breast cancer) indicate that Qigong can ease depressive symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, and support overall quality of life. (Frontiers)
  For the wider emotional picture, you may also find Qi Gong & Anxiety / Mood: 2020–2025 Evidence Overview helpful.

• Gentle movement that works with your body
  Qi Gong is low-impact. Movements are slow, flowing and can be done standing or seated. That makes it easier to adapt around neuropathy, joint pain, PICC lines, ports, lymphoedema or surgical scars.

• Nervous-system regulation
  Simple breath-led patterns calm the “fight, flight, freeze” response. This can soften scan anxiety, waiting-room stress and the background tension that often comes with long treatment plans.

• Body image and trust
  Cancer and treatment can leave you feeling betrayed by your own body. Qi Gong gives you a way to relate to your body as an ally again – even for a few minutes at a time.

Modern reviews of Qigong as an integrated therapy for cancer report no evidence of harm and suggest benefits for fatigue, cognitive function and overall quality of life, especially when programmes are tailored and supervised. (MDPI)

Understanding Cancer Treatment and Energy Levels

Different treatments stress the body in different ways. A very simple map:

• Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
  Can cause deep fatigue, nausea, changes in blood counts, neuropathy, and “up-and-down” energy across each cycle.

• Radiotherapy
  Often creates local fatigue, skin changes and a slow build-up of tiredness over weeks.

• Hormone therapies and targeted therapies
  May affect joints, hot flushes, mood, sleep, bone health and weight.

• Surgery
  Brings its own arc of pain, immobility and gradual rehabilitation.

Exercise in general – including gentle practices like Tai Chi, yoga and Qigong – is now strongly recommended in many cancer guidelines as part of supportive care, because it helps reduce side-effects and improves physical and emotional wellbeing. (The Guardian)

The key is to match the practice to your stage, your blood counts and your doctor’s advice. On some days, that may be ten minutes of standing movement. On others, two minutes of seated breathing is enough.

Safety First: Practising Qi Gong During Treatment

Because treatment can affect your immune system, blood, heart and healing, safety comes first. A few gentle guidelines:

• Always check with your oncology team
  Ask your consultant, cancer nurse or physiotherapist:
  – “Is gentle, low-impact exercise like Qi Gong safe for me now?”
  – “Are there movements I should avoid because of my surgery, ports or blood counts?”

• Work around lines, ports and scars
  Avoid strong stretching or pressure over PICC lines, ports, drains or fresh scars. Keep arms within your comfortable range, especially after breast or chest surgery.

• Listen to your blood counts
  When white cells are low or infection risk is high, it may be better to stay home and practise very gently, seated, rather than going to busy gyms or classes.

• Be kind to your heart and breath
  If treatment has affected your heart or lungs, keep movements slow and well within your limits. Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, breathless, tight-chested or faint.

• Respect pain and swelling
  Sharp pain, new swelling (especially in a limb at risk of lymphoedema), sudden shortness of breath or chest pain are reasons to stop and seek medical advice urgently.

If you are also navigating autoimmune issues, joint problems or longer-term heart risk, you can pair this page with Qi Gong & Autoimmune Conditions: Inflammation Evidence 2020–2025 and Qi Gong & Cardiovascular Health: Blood Pressure, HRV & Heart Health to build a bigger picture that fits your whole health.

Membership Support for Tired Bodies and Tender Minds

Trying to figure out “how much is too much” during cancer treatment can be exhausting in itself.

In Bright Beings Academy you do not have to work it all out alone. You will find:

• Live online classes, with options to stand or sit for every sequence

• A calm pace, with no pressure to “keep up” if your energy dips

• Replays you can stop after one section on tired days, or repeat on better ones

• Clear guidance about soft range of movement after surgery or with ongoing side-effects

• A nervous-system aware approach that understands fear, anger, sadness and numbness

You can explore different ways of joining through Online Qi Gong Live Classes, depending on whether you want mostly live support, a gentle on-demand library, or more personal guidance.

If a full membership feels like too big a step right now, you can begin softly with the 21-Day Qi Gong for Beginners mini course. It lets you test how Qi Gong feels in your body over three weeks, without the ongoing commitment of membership, and gives you simple patterns you can then adapt for treatment days and recovery days.

A 5–10 Minute Cancer-Aware Qi Gong Routine

Please treat this as a starting point only. Adapt it with your oncology team, and always stop if anything feels wrong. You can do the whole routine seated if standing feels unsteady.

1. Arrive and notice (1–2 minutes)

• Sit or stand comfortably, feet flat and supported.

• Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.

• Place one hand on your chest and one on your lower belly.

• Take three easy breaths. Notice: “How is my energy today, out of ten?”

• Decide a gentle intention, such as “soften” or “support”.

2. Shoulder and chest opening, very gentle (2 minutes)

Seated or standing:

• As you breathe in, slowly open your arms out to the sides, palms facing forwards, as if you are welcoming light.

• As you breathe out, bring your hands back to rest on your chest.

• Repeat 6–10 times, staying within a comfortable range, especially if you have had chest or breast surgery.

If you feel any pulling around scars or lines, reduce the range until it feels safe.

3. Floating hands, grounded feet (2–3 minutes)

• Rest your hands by your sides.

• As you breathe in, float both hands up to shoulder height in front of you, as if lifting two light balloons.

• As you breathe out, let them drift back down.

• Imagine your feet or seat are heavy and rooted, while your upper body moves like water.

You can keep your elbows bent if arms feel weak or lines are present.

4. Soft side-body stretch (2 minutes)

• Place one hand on your thigh or the chair.

• As you breathe in, slide the other hand up the side of your body or reach gently overhead, creating a soft curve through your ribs.

• As you breathe out, come back to centre.

• Repeat 3–5 times each side, avoiding any pinching or pulling near scars or ports.

5. Closing: gather and rest (1–2 minutes)

• Place your hands over your heart or lower belly.

• Take three slower breaths, imagining you are breathing directly into that area.

• Thank your body for what it is carrying today, even if it feels tired, puffy or sore.

If all you manage on some days is Step 1 and Step 5, that still counts as practice.

Building a Kind Practice Rhythm Around Treatment

There is no “perfect” schedule during cancer treatment. There is only what is kind and doable. A few ideas:

• Think in cycles, not weeks
  With chemotherapy, you might have “good days” and “crash days” each cycle. Aim for more Qi Gong on good days, and tiny, seated practices on crash days.

• Match practice to appointments
  A few minutes before or after hospital visits – even in the car or waiting room – can help regulate your nervous system.

• Use time of day that suits you
  Some people feel best in the morning. Others only have a small window in the afternoon or evening. You can explore these patterns alongside Morning vs Evening Qi Gong.

• Blend with walking and physio
  Qi Gong can sit alongside short walks, physiotherapy exercises and simple strength work recommended by your team. It is not “instead of”; it is a supportive thread.

• Write nothing off
  Two minutes of breathing on a hospital bed is not “nothing”. It is you choosing your body, again, in a very hard season.

Join When You’re Ready

You do not have to navigate cancer treatment and gentle movement alone.

Bright Beings Academy is here when you feel ready – whether that means dipping your toe in with 21-Day Qi Gong for Beginners, joining Online Qi Gong Live Classes, or simply returning to the short routine above whenever you can.

You are welcome exactly as you are today – bald, bandaged, swollen, scarred, scared, hopeful or all of the above.

Qi Gong During Cancer Treatment: FAQs

Can I do Qi Gong on chemotherapy days?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on your regime, your blood counts and how you feel.

Many people find very gentle, seated Qi Gong helpful on infusion days or the days after, especially for nausea and anxiety. Others need complete rest. Always ask your oncology team first, and be prepared to change your plan from cycle to cycle.

Is Qi Gong safe if my immune system is low?

The movement itself is usually low-risk and can often be done at home. The bigger concern with low immunity is infection risk from crowded spaces.

Practising at home with online classes can be a safer option in neutropenic phases. Still, check in with your team if you have fevers, new infections or are feeling extremely unwell.

What about lymphoedema risk in my arm or leg?

Gentle, gradual movement can actually support lymph flow, but it must be within your safe range.

• Avoid sudden, heavy or repetitive loading through the at-risk limb.

• Build up arm or leg movements slowly, watching for swelling, tightness or heaviness.

• If you already have lymphoedema, work alongside your specialist or physio so Qi Gong supports, not aggravates, your management plan.

Can I practise after surgery? How soon is too soon?

That is a decision for your surgeon and physio.

In the very early days, your Qi Gong might simply be breath awareness and tiny hand or ankle movements in bed. As stitches heal and pain eases, you can add more range and standing work with guidance.

Always follow the specific post-operative instructions you have been given about lifting, stretching and arm use.

What if I feel too tired to move at all?

Cancer-related fatigue can be unlike any tiredness you have known. Paradoxically, very gentle, regular movement often helps more than complete rest, but it has to be tiny, kind and paced.

On your worst days, your practice might be:

• Two minutes of soft breathing with hands on your belly

• Visualising the movements instead of actually doing them

• One or two of the steps from the routine above, then a nap

This is not failure. It is nervous-system savvy pacing.

Could Qi Gong interfere with my treatment?

There is currently no evidence that gentle Qi Gong interferes with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other standard treatments. Reviews so far report no specific harms when it is used as a complementary practice. (MDPI)

Problems are more likely to come from over-exertion, dehydration, ignoring pain, or attending crowded venues when your immunity is low. Staying in close conversation with your medical team keeps things safe.

Do I need special clothes or equipment?

No. Comfortable clothes, a flat pair of shoes (or bare feet on a safe floor), and a stable chair are enough.

If you have lines or drains, you may feel more comfortable in soft, loose layers that make access easy for nurses and reduce rubbing.

If you are reading this in a waiting room, on your sofa between treatments, or awake at 3am with steroid buzz or worry, please know this:

There is still a way to move with your body, even now. One soft breath. One small opening of the chest. One kind decision to keep listening to your body’s “yes” and “no” as you go.

I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)