There is overwhelming evidence to support the benefits that exercise provides for good health. Recent studies have now shown how positive exercise is for people who are diagnosed with cancer, going through chemo and radiation treatments as well as those who are in remission. It has been recommended that exercise be a standard part of cancer care both during treatment and after recovery. Experts suggest cancer patients and survivors should spend 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Many people slow down after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Depression and anxiety are very real battles that cancer patients face. Even if they physically feel okay, their mental state can put a serious stall on being active. Even healthy people who are forced to spend long periods of time being inactive develop depression. One of the best cures for depression is in fact exercise. Being active increases body temperature for a calming effect and releases good feeling endorphins that lift moods and energy. It eases anxiety and helps take your mind off your worries. Exercise also reduces chemicals in the immune system that can contribute to depression.
Hormonal changes in the body and medication from chemo treatments often cause unwanted weight gain. Studies of different classifications of cancers show that being overweight after completing treatment showed a higher rate of recurrence and shortened the survival time of patients. A good exercise schedule, along with a healthy diet is a way to counteract weight gain and prevent the risks of carrying unwanted pounds. Aside from losing weight from exercise, it also aids in building important muscle mass.
Strength training is very important to cancer patients. Chemotherapy has been shown to cause women to lose as much bone density in a year as the average woman loses in a decade. Weight bearing exercises like weight lifting and walking help maintain a persons bone density.
Exercise has also been shown to reduce nausea, which is a common complaint of patients going through chemo. Experts believe that physical activity helps nausea by redistributing blood flow away from the abdomen and toward the legs. Others who have studied exercise and it’s effect on nausea think that it could be as simple as exercise takes the mind off the focus on the nausea and puts in on something else.
Walking, golfing, and biking are all effective ways to get the proper amount of exercise. Even yoga, especially for mesothelioma treatment has proven to provide better function as well as increased survival rates. The activity doesn’t have to be strenuous. The most important thing is finding exercise that is enjoyable and safe, depending on the treatments received and the overall condition of the patient.
Many people slow down after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Depression and anxiety are very real battles that cancer patients face. Even if they physically feel okay, their mental state can put a serious stall on being active. Even healthy people who are forced to spend long periods of time being inactive develop depression. One of the best cures for depression is in fact exercise. Being active increases body temperature for a calming effect and releases good feeling endorphins that lift moods and energy. It eases anxiety and helps take your mind off your worries. Exercise also reduces chemicals in the immune system that can contribute to depression.
Hormonal changes in the body and medication from chemo treatments often cause unwanted weight gain. Studies of different classifications of cancers show that being overweight after completing treatment showed a higher rate of recurrence and shortened the survival time of patients. A good exercise schedule, along with a healthy diet is a way to counteract weight gain and prevent the risks of carrying unwanted pounds. Aside from losing weight from exercise, it also aids in building important muscle mass.
Strength training is very important to cancer patients. Chemotherapy has been shown to cause women to lose as much bone density in a year as the average woman loses in a decade. Weight bearing exercises like weight lifting and walking help maintain a persons bone density.
Exercise has also been shown to reduce nausea, which is a common complaint of patients going through chemo. Experts believe that physical activity helps nausea by redistributing blood flow away from the abdomen and toward the legs. Others who have studied exercise and it’s effect on nausea think that it could be as simple as exercise takes the mind off the focus on the nausea and puts in on something else.
Walking, golfing, and biking are all effective ways to get the proper amount of exercise. Even yoga, especially for mesothelioma treatment has proven to provide better function as well as increased survival rates. The activity doesn’t have to be strenuous. The most important thing is finding exercise that is enjoyable and safe, depending on the treatments received and the overall condition of the patient.
