Cancer and Exercise: The Results You've Been Looking For
New year, new exercise regimen to lose weight and feel better. That’s everyone’s New Year’s resolution. But you just can’t see that happening this year. You want to forget about it.
Who has the energy for exercise when you’re recovering from the holidays, getting the kids geared up for another stretch of online classes, and thinking about COVID-all while you’re in a fight of your life?
Exercise sounds counterintuitive for someone running low on stamina, patience, and, worst of all, energy.
But what if I told you the exercise that sounds so horrible and so unachievable is a reliable tool for not only helping survive cancer but could make your battle easier and improve your overall quality of life?
Cancer and exercise actually go hand in hand.
Cancer shouldn’t put you on the couch. But some of you might already be there, making the prospect of beginning a new workout routine sound super scary.
Fear not! Once you see the benefits of exercising while fighting cancer, you’ll see there’s no other alternative. Strap in, buckle up, and ready yourself for more vitality, more strength, and less depression.
Whatever Good Things We Build, Build Us Up
So, what types of benefits are we talking about? Here’s a list that’ll have you signing up for a gym membership before sundown:
● Lean muscle mass. Exercise builds up muscle mass that not only gives you strength but the stamina you need when the fight calls for it. Sturdy legs are your base and the means for mobility. Keeping your arms and legs strong keeps you active.
● Fight off obesity. Studies have shown that obesity has been linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including colon and breast. Having lung cancer does NOT shield you from other common forms of cancer. You need every tool available to lower your risk of other cancers. Research shows a strong correlation between fighting disease and exercise.
● Exercise reduces your chances of developing treatment side effects like fatigue, neuropathy, lymphedema, osteoporosis, and nausea.
● Lessening anxiety and depression or even eradicating them can be achieved when you are exercising regularly. Yoga and other mind-body exercises are beneficial.
● Exercise helps you remain mobile for as long as possible. Being mobile brings independence, and independence is golden. Move so you can keep on moving. Stretching is critical for keeping you limber and moving.
● Avoid the classic hip and arm injuries from trips and falls by finding exercises to improve your balance.
● Exercise brings better sleep. When fighting cancer and dealing with treatments, you need increased rest to help your body heal. Exercising during the day has proven to help people sleep better at night.
● How does less time in the hospital sound? Pretty great, right? Studies show that physically fit patients often get out of the hospital after treatments days or even weeks earlier.
● Not only will the exercise strengthen your muscles, but it will give your treatment a power punch, making it more effective at fighting tumor cells.
● Knocking down or even preventing heart disease or diabetes. Long-term cancer survivors have an increased risk of heart and metabolic disorders. Exercise has been shown to help avoid both.
First Things First
Now that you see how exercise can be so beneficial, you’re probably ready to jump in with both feet. This is where we have to take one of those feet off the gas and be sure to consult with your doctor about exercise during or after cancer treatment.
Your doctor will probably be thrilled to see you exercising. Still, he/she may want to refer you to a physical therapist or personal trainer if you have issues with balance, mobility, or muscle wasting.
The next thing you’ll want to do is make sure you have good walking or running shoes. Walking should be the foundation of every fitness regimen. Aim for 30 minutes a day of brisk walking most days of the week. You may progress to jogging if your doctor allows it.
With that much walking, you’ll need high-quality shoes to keep your feet, ankles, and knees healthy. Some cancer medications cause sore joints, so take special care of those joints that keep you mobile.
After walking, spend 5-10 minutes stretching each major muscle group. Focus on your legs, hips, and chest.
Next Thing, Get After It
After you’ve established a walking or jogging habit, you need to add two or three days of strength training.
If you’re new to the gym or any type of exercise, you may want to hire a trainer who can guide you along. They will know your medical history and will find activities that are right for you. You will probably begin working on the three prongs of exercise health; aerobic training, resistance training, and core training.
Aerobic training, also called cardio, is any exercise that moves your large muscles, causing deep breathing. Brisk walking, jogging, biking, and swimming are excellent ways to keep your heart and lungs functioning at peak performance.
Resistance exercise is just a fancy word for weight training with bars, machines, or dumbbells. Core training keeps your abs and lower back strong and healthy.
You can accomplish this at home too. A basic weight lifting exercise program using dumbbells and bands works just as well. And with all the streaming options available online, you will never run out of good workouts.
Yoga Does a Body and Mind Good
Walking, cardio and weight lifting are the foundations of fitness. Everyone should have an enjoyable and challenging routine that incorporates all of them. But for cancer patients, especially, Yoga has proved to be a helpful addition. Studies show yoga minimizes fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Yoga also improves all-important sleep, joint health, and flexibility.
Starting an exercise regimen can be intimidating and scary. It’s easy to cave into your fears. But exercise not only helps you through your cancer treatments, but it’ll make you healthier and happier this year.
You have the power to change. Use it.
Author: Lori Mang