| Procedure | Sedentary admin | Sedentary light manual | Active light manual | Heavy manual | Physically demanding |
| Benign lumpectomy | 1-2 days | 1-2 days | 1week | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Breast cancer wide local excision and sentinel node biopsy | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 1-3 weeks | 3-6 weeks | 4-6 weeks |
| Breast cancer wide local excision or mastectomy and axillary clearance | 2-3 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 3-6 weeks | 6-12 weeks | 12 weeks+ |
| Breast cancer with radiotherapy and endocrine therapy | 2-12 weeks | 2-12 weeks | 4-12 weeks | 12 weeks+ | 12 weeks+ |
| Breast cancer with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and herceptin | 2-39 weeks | 2-39 weeks | 26-39 weeks | 26-52 weeks | 26-52 weeks |
| Breast implant | 2 weeks | 2 weeks | 4 weeks | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |