Cancer and Exercise: 5 Things Every Cancer Patient Needs to Know
What Cancer Patients Need to Know About Cancer and Exercise
Credit: pfala
1. It’s important not to overdo it. The exercise experts at Life Fitness emphasize that cancer patients should set realistic expectations and be kind to their bodies, as exercise will start out harder or just feel different than it used to. As with any workout, endurance and strength should be built slowly. Listen to your body!
2. Exercise helps with recovery. Cancer specialists notice an improvement in people who work out before and after their surgery, says Philip J. Goscienski, Stone Age Doc and author of Health Secrets of the Stone Age. Breast cancer survivors have better heart and lung function, in addition to a better quality of life. Some of this might be due to having more muscle mass to act as a protein source to utilize when food intake is at a minimum.
3. Avoid germs when you can. Cancer affects the immune system to the point where it makes bodies more susceptible to germs and infections. So, if you are going to work out at a gym, disinfect the equipment before and after use, according to Life Fitness.
4. Exercise helps to prevent tumor re-growth. According to Dr. Edward Bauman, the author of The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors, exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis (ladies…) and cancer. The National Cancer Institute even says that physical activity may prevent tumor development by lowering hormone levels. But also note that too much exercise can decrease white blood cell activity—not good when fighting cancer. Again, listen to your body.
5. Exercise reduces the risk of cancer for women and men. I know this month we’re talking about boobie health a lot, but Goscienski gives us one more reason we Fit Bottomed Girls—as well as our Fit Bottomed Guys—should exercise regularly: regular physical activity not only lowers the risk of colon cancer, but it also increases survival in those who have had the disease. In fact, men who receive hormone therapy following surgery for prostate cancer experience less fatigue and enjoy a better quality of life if they exercise with weights three times a week.
With all of these useful tips on how fitness helps maintain a healthier body even when it’s fighting cancer, I would say it’s up to us Fit Bottomed Girls to make sure we are leading a healthy lifestyle not just for our looks and for our health, but to help us prevent and beat cancer and as much as we can. Keep on doing what you are doing FBGs, and we can help kick cancer to the curb.
How have you been affected by cancer? Do you work out to help prevent—or fight—cancer? Tell us about it! —Kelsey