Objective To explore the true perception of patients with breast cancer who participated the rehabilitation exercise of limb function.Methods Using the purposive sampling method,18 postoperative breast cancer patients admitted in a tertiary hospital in Wuhan,China,from February 2021 to March 2021 were recruited for semi-structured interviews based on the theory of planned behavior. Collected data were analyzed to summarize the main themes by the Colaizzi phenomenological method（7 steps）.Results The true experience of postoperative breast cancer patients on the rehabilitation behavior of limb function can be summarized as 3 themes. Behavioral attitude：negative emotions following stress,rehabilitation behaviors that are systematically underestimated,and the value of reconstructing the image of women. Subjective normative measurement：influence of social roles,peer effect,and medical staff support. Perceived behavior control：the confinement of the comfort zone,and the needs of the rehabilitation environment.Conclusion The behavior of limb function rehabilitation in postoperative breast cancer patients is affected by the behavioral attitude,subjective norms measurement and perceived behavioral control. From the perspective of patients,medical staff should correct cognitive bias in rehabilitation behavior of breast cancer patients. Negative cognition needs to be avoided through positive belief factors. Meanwhile,multiple sources of support should be highlighted to stimulate patients’ sense of self-management,create a rich rehabilitation environment,and promote the improvement of breast function rehabilitation behavior of postoperative breast cancer patients.