Numerous scientific studies have shown the myriad benefits of exercise, both in the prevention and treatment of cancer. In this post we will explain how physical activity can help you prevent the appearance of cancer, or if you already have it, we will tell you how it will improve your quality of life.
First of all, whether you do not have cancer or if you do, you should know that regular physical exercise helps; prevent it, improves general self-esteem and sleep quality, reduces anxiety, depression and stress levels, reduces the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, improves vital energy, mobility and balance, also reduces fatigue, minimizes cancer recurrence, and of course maintains muscle mass.
Today no one doubts the importance of physical activity, exercise and sport in human health, in the prevention, and even in the treatment of numerous diseases. Among these diseases is cancer.
More than 10,000 scientific publications have been written that have studied the links between exercise and cancer, and almost all of them showed very positive results in terms of preventing many types of tumors, decreasing cancer recurrence and better prognosis of this if you exercise frequently.
You should not worry, but rather start exercising, since it is scientifically proven that recurrent physical exercise, correctly prescribed, can be carried out without risk during chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.
Now, make sure to adjust its intensity, duration, weekly frequency and type of exercise to the general state of your physical condition. If you do it right, physical exercise will improve the prognosis of the disease, your future quality of life and your final life expectancy.
Here you must bear in mind that the key is that; Exercise does not pose a risk to your health, that is, when the surgeon allows it in the event that there has been surgery or when the oncologist considers that the patient’s condition in relation to chemotherapy or radiotherapy is correct.
It is best to start small, it should be a progressive process, without reaching high intensities of cardiovascular or muscular fatigue.
Pain is a warning sign that warns of a possible problem, so it should be taken into account. Muscle recovery between exercise sessions is very important; You should not force your body, so if one day you feel excessive fatigue, it will be better not to do the exercise session.
In principle there is no problem, if you can do it, but it will also depend on the physical state before the cancer diagnosis, the type of cancer and the type of treatment.
Recurrent physical exercise is good for mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, improves quality of life, mood, energy, self-esteem, and the effectiveness of cancer treatment. However, keep these aspects in mind:
In the case of chemotherapy, it is common to affect the mucous membranes of the mouth and digestive tract, skin, hair, nails and bone marrow, all of them rapidly and constantly regenerating tissues. This must be taken into account when exercising, since there may be anemia and fatigue, leukopenia and predisposition to infections, ease of damaging the skin and forming bruises. Therefore, avoid exercises with risk of bumps or falls, places with risk of infection due to being very crowded or public water areas. In addition, chemotherapy can be cardiotoxic and seriously affect cardiovascular capacity. Some chemotherapy drugs can cause arrhythmias, so it may be advisable not to exercise on the day of the chemotherapy session and for a day or two afterward.
In the case of radiotherapy, there may be damage to the skin and other soft tissues such as muscles, tendons and ligaments close to the treated area. This can predispose to injuries and infections of these tissues produced during the exercise session. Like chemotherapy, there could be heart involvement and an impact on cardiovascular capacity.
In the case of bone metastases, the risk of a stress fracture must be taken into account.
What kinds of exercises can a person diagnosed with cancer do?
There are basically three physical capacities that you should train:
Cardiovascular capacity or aerobic capacity, which refers to the endurance or endurance for doing a physical exercise such as walking, running, cycling, swimming or dancing.
Muscular strength, which refers to the ability to overcome a certain resistance such as lifting a weight, pushing or pulling.
Flexibility, which refers to having a joint range or range of motion of our joints as wide as possible.
The exercises that a person with cancer should do are those that improve these three qualities.
Actually they are the same as anyone should do, but at a lower intensity and duration:
Actually, these gymnastics not only act on flexibility, they also act on muscle toning and to a lesser extent on aerobic capacity.
How to maintain consistency when exercising?
We understand that changing habits can be difficult, but if you are a patient diagnosed with cancer it is very important that you have very healthy lifestyle habits.
Maintaining consistency in exercise can be an arduous task, but here we will give you some tips to achieve it:
Be clear that exercise is a priority, such as eating, sleeping or showering.
Try to exercise even if you feel tired. The session itself will make you feel better and more vital.
Measure your strength. Nothing happens to skip some day as long as you are clear that you are going to retake it.
Find a comfortable place to exercise. The gym, sports hall, park or any place to exercise should be close to home or work.
The exercise session should be fun. Try to find the activity that most entertains you; dancing, walks in the park, in a group or alone …
Change activities if you don’t like what you’re doing.
Try to make exercise a social activity.
Doing it with more people improves adherence, consistency and is more enjoyable.
Better to exercise in the morning, you are more rested and there are fewer excuses to postpone the session due to lack of time.
Finally, it is important that you remember that your health should be your number one priority and that is not negotiable, exercise is a good means to maintain good health, but as always, first consult your doctor and tell him that you want to start or continue with your activity, he will recommend the best for your health and guide you through the process.
At Marcare Clinic, we review, maintain, and offer a quality health service in Hamilton, Ontario.
If you need to visit your doctor for a general medical review or receive advice on improving your quality of life, do not hesitate to contact us.
