While undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment, perhaps exercise may be the last thing you’re interested in right now. But how’s this for motivation? Numerous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can actually help relieve side effects such as depression, decreased appetite, nausea and fatigue.
For working women, the benefits are particularly relevant.
When to Start
When can you start? As soon as your doctor gives you the green light. If surgery hasn’t affected your active lung capacity or balance, you may be ready to start a light exercise program a few weeks after your procedure. Ask your doctor about limits or restrictions on your physical activities.
Use common sense
There is no “one size fits all” with cancer. Your exercise program should be based on your individual needs and abilities. Are you able to isolate muscle groups? Can you do abdominal work without flexing your chest? If your energy is low, steer clear of intense aerobic exercise; low-level activity is best to create more energy. If you are nauseous or dizzy, don’t exercise. If you’ve never exercised on a regular basis, it’s particularly important to start in a structured environment with supervision.
What to Do
Exercises that mimic daily functional activity are a good place to start. Depending on the affected areas, walking, climbing stairs, pushing and pulling are all beneficial. Lower-body exercises such as squats and lunges are also good. No matter what you decide to do, consult your physician before starting your exercise program.
Walking
Walking is excellent exercise for people with cancer, because it increases lung function, stimulates bone growth, and strengthens leg and back muscles. Although a metastasis to the legs, back or pelvis bone rules out running, it may not rule out walking, since walking does not jar the joints. Walking in a swimming pool is especially gentle and it still stimulates the heart and lungs, building endurance.
Swimming
If walking is painful because of metastasis to the spine, hip or pelvis, swimming can be a good substitute. It is not as stressful to the body, and if you swim far and fast enough, you will increase your aerobic capacity. Swimming’s major advantage is that it stretches the muscles, including those in the rib cage, which increases the amount of air you can inhale and exhale. Swimming also strengthens your muscles as your body moves against the water’s resistance without any jarring motions.
Strength training
Lifting weights or working out with weight-resistance machines is sometimes recommended for people with cancer, because the repetitive movements against resistance help build muscle. However, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn; so close supervision and weight monitoring are important to make sure your increased calorie needs don’t exceed the number of calories you are able to consume. Some experts feel that weight resistance machines are safer than free weights because they are more easily controlled. If you have never done strength training before, work with an experienced trainer who understands the needs and limitations of a person with cancer.
Yoga and stretching
Yoga’s gentle movements are designed to extend and tone muscles that have become shortened as a result of lengthy periods of inactivity, such as prolonged bed rest after surgery. Stretching promotes flexibility, relieves muscle tension and stiff joints, and increases blood circulation. Well-stretched muscles are also less vulnerable to injury than tight ones and require less energy and effort to move.
In addition, yoga and deep-breathing exercises can help you relax and alleviate the anxiety brought on by a cancer diagnosis and treatment. The poses are easily adaptable to people’s specific needs with the help of an experienced instructor. For instance, if you have breast cancer, you would not want to do any weight bearing on the arms. Standing and balancing poses, such as “warrior,” “tree,” “mountain” and “triangle,” are good for beginners.
Three Exercises You Can Do at Your Desk
These exercises will not only help reduce wrist and shoulder strain from long days at your computer, they will also improve flexibility and reduce stress.
1. Shoulder Shrug
Place arms down alongside the body and breathe in through the nose. Raise shoulders to your ears and hold for five seconds; as you breathe out through the lips, push shoulders down and engage your back muscles; hold for five seconds. Repeat two times.
2. Shoulder and Upper Back Tone and Tighten
Breathe in, and as you breathe out, raise arms out to the sides, palms facing down. Force the arms back and up to create tension; hold for 10 seconds, then release arms and move them back to the sides. Repeat four times.
3. The Swim
Place both arms out in front, palms facing each other. Breathe in as you sweep your arms to the sides of the body, parallel to the floor, and push back. Breathe out as you bring your arms forward. Repeat five times.
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