Mastectomy Recovery: Gentle Exercises for Chest & Shoulder Mobility

Regain mobility in your chest and shoulders after a mastectomy.

 

Post surgery is an important time for recovery and self-care. When you get the green light from your doctor, you can start doing these upper-body moves to help you get some mobility back in your shoulders and chest.

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The process

1. First get the green light from your specialist that you can start on some light exercise.
2. Start with a modifi ed range of motion that is pain free.
3. Increase your range session by session, as the muscles start to release and the pain starts to dissipate. Don't progress too quickly.
4. If you feel you may benefit from doing more reps and sets you can tweak things to suit you. But start with easier versions and work your way up.
5. Once these moves become comfortable and your range of motion is near normal, speak to your specialist or doctor about an appropriate next step. This might be some light upperbody strengthening.

Front raises

Why? These build basic strength in the deltoid (shoulder) muscles and encourage mobility by stretching the muscles under your arms.

How? Stand and hold a towel with both hands, palms facing your thighs, arms by your sides, so the towel rests on your thighs. Lightly brace your core muscles, then raise your arms up and forward, keeping your elbows relatively straight. Only go as high as you can comfortably go. Try to do a little better each time. Lower slowly, then repeat.

Sets and reps: No more than 2-3 sets of 6-10.

Drying your back

Why? Targets the mobility in the front of the shoulders.

How? Hold an end of the towel in both hands, with your right hand, palm forward, just behind your right ear and your left hand, palm back, outside your left hip. Slowly and carefully raise your right hand. This pulls your left hand up your back. Once you've moved a comfortable distance, lower to the start. Do all the reps on one side, then switch.

Sets and reps: 2-3 sets of 6-8 each side.

Reverse side sweeps

Why? These help with lateral mobility and strengthen your back.

How? Hold a towel behind you in both hands so it rests on your butt, palms facing out. With relatively straight elbows, move the towel back to about 30cm from your butt, then carefully sweep it side to side. Be conscious of how it feels in the front of your shoulders. You won't have much range initially but it will build up.

Sets and reps: 2-3 sets of 6-8 each side.

Side sweeps

Why? Help lateral mobility in the shoulders, chest and back and strengthen shoulders and arms.

How? Hold a towel in front of your thighs, one palm facing forward, one back. Sweep your arms towards the side of your body with the underhand grip (palm forward), so the other arm is pulled across your body. Go as high as you can comfortably go, then slowly lower. Do all reps on one side, then switch.

Sets and reps: No more than 2-3 sets of 6-10.

Lying sweeps

Why? This is similar to the front sweeps but the change of body position means the shoulders and lats are responsible for the movement.

How? Lie on your back on the floor. Hold a towel on your thighs, hands just wider than hip-width apart, palms facing down. With your elbows relatively straight, raise your arms to vertical. If you can go further, do so, but don't do too much too soon. Slowly follow the same arc back down so the towel again rests on your thighs.

Sets and reps: No more than 2-3 sets of 6-10.

Our model

Neridah Bermingham, 38, is a nurse who competes in triathlons. Her favourite activity is swimming.

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