Aims
Isometric exercise is a type of exercise that may provide health benefits to patients diagnosed with cancer with its flexible delivery. However, it is not part of the COSA exercise guidelines and evidence of safety and efficacy is sparce in this population. The primary aim of this scoping review is to map the evidence surrounding the programming of isometric exercise in people diagnosed with cancer.
Methods
This scoping review follows the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Six databases were searched on 1 September 2025. Two independent reviewers screened titles/abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Data was extracted using an extraction template and synthesised. Studies were included if they investigated individuals diagnosed with any cancer at any time in their treatment and examined an exercise intervention that incorporated isometric exercise elements.
Results
Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria out of 7289 records screened. There was a total of 1053 participants with a mean age ranging from 6.6 to 74.3 years with the breast cancer type most investigated (26%). Five studies in this review implemented isometric exercise in isolation whilst the rest incorporated isometric exercise as part of a multimodal program. Isometric exercise was inconsistently reported across the studies and protocols mostly did not reflect implementation in non-cancer populations. Isometric exercise in isolation demonstrated quality of life and strength related improvements. This scoping review also describes the use of supervision, setting and monitoring in programs.
Conclusions
The findings of this scoping review describe the potential for isometric exercise in this population. Whilst it has been implemented as an element of numerus multimodal interventions, further investigation is needed to isolate its effects and investigate consistent protocols. In practice, the findings suggest of delivery methods that support adherence through access strategies whilst maintaining efficacy.