Chemo and Exercise: What You Need to Know With Brent Cunningham

Exercise during cancer treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all—and it shouldn’t be. Exercise physiologist and PhD candidate Brent Cunningham explains how auto-regulation helps patients adjust training on the fly, why both aerobic and resistance work matter, and how to dose sessions to support recovery instead of draining it. We cover safety considerations by treatment type, what to expect in a session, and practical ways to find programs and support in Australia.Key Points:The “three buckets”: prevention, during treatment, survivorshipWhy intensity helps—and how to make it safe with RPE-based auto-regulationPicking the right levers: load, sets, reps, rest, and especially volume on high-fatigue daysAerobic vs resistance: cardiotoxicity considerations, muscle preservation, power, and functionPeripheral neuropathy, bone metastases, radiation skin changes—what to modify and howTraining timing around infusions; early research on the tumour microenvironmentSupervised vs unsupervised: outcomes, behaviour change, and building self-efficacyHow long it takes to move the needle on cancer-related fatigue (think 12–16 weeks)Finding services: Cancer Council, cancer-specific organisations, ESSA, ACSMAustralian access: GP Chronic Disease Management Plan for subsidised sessionsBrent’s project: building practical tools to adjust training day-to-day during chemoGuest links:LinkedIn: Brent CunninghamResearch: ResearchGate – Brent CunninghamCoaching & education: tmrwlabtrainingScope & Show Notes:Back 2 Your Best Rehab Program (Ipswich) Resources mentioned: ESSA Position Statement; ACSM infographics; UBC Bone Metastases Exercise Hub; Cancer Council; Myeloma Australia