Personalized Exercise Programs in Oncology

Ahmed Saleh^1*Abdulkareem Shareef²Ashok Kumar Bishoyi³S. Renuka Jyothi⁴Rajashree Panigrahi⁵Amrita Pargaien⁶Gunjan Garg⁷Mashkhura Hafizova⁸Hayder Naji Sameer⁹Ahmed Yaseen¹⁰Zainab H. Athab¹¹Mohaned Adil¹²

• ¹1Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, College of Education Alnoor University, Nineveh, Iraq
• ²Ahl Al Bayt University, Karbala, Iraq
• ³Marwadi University, Rajkot, India
• ⁴JAIN (Deemed-to-be-university) Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Ramanagara, India
• ⁵Siksha O Anusandhan University Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, India
• ⁶Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun, India
• ⁷Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chandigarh, India
• ⁸Samarkand State Medical University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• ⁹National University of Science and Technology, Nasiriyah, Iraq
• ¹⁰Gilgamesh University, Baghdad, Iraq
• ¹¹Al-Zahrawi University College, Karbala, Iraq
• ¹²Al-Farahidi University, Baghdad, Iraq

Exercise is increasingly recognized as a safe and effective adjunct therapy across the cancer care continuum, offering improvements in physiological function, psychological well-being, and treatment outcomes. However, conventional one-size-fits-all exercise prescriptions often fall short of addressing the diverse needs of cancer patients, who differ significantly in tumor type, treatment modality, baseline fitness, and comorbidities. Personalized exercise programs offer a tailored, evidence-informed approach that enhances safety, adherence, and clinical benefits. This narrative review synthesizes the current literature on the physiological, psychological, and oncological impacts of exercise in cancer care, emphasizing the rationale, methodologies, and emerging tools for individualized exercise prescriptions. Integration of such programs into oncology practice requires standardized assessments, interdisciplinary collaboration, and digital infrastructure, with a focus on addressing barriers to implementation and ensuring equitable access. Personalized exercise programs have the potential to improve patient outcomes and survivorship experiences across diverse cancer populations.