Exercise is now prescribed for cancer patients

CANCER & EXERCISE, an essential combination. Really you say? Yes, I say, because COSA says so. (Clinical Oncology Society of Australia). – I AM SOOOOOO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!!

Nearly everyone is affected by cancer one way or another. You either have it or someone you know has been diagnosed with it. Please, if is you, or someone you love, share this information with them, and encourage them to keep active.

Myself, I have been living with Leukaemia for over 9 years now. And I have a beautiful client that is bravely dealing with the effects of her breast cancer every day.

I never stopped exercising through my 6 months of chemo. I would train as hard as I could the morning of treatment & the day after. By the 2nd & 3rd day after I felt quite rat shit, so very little exercise, if any. But then back into it after that. And the cycle continued. When I say “as hard as I could”, that was no way near what I could do pre-chemo. I was nauseous a lot, and very short of breath, but I did what I could.

COSA’s Position Statement on Cancer Care is that:

All people with cancer should AVOID INACTIVITY and return to normal daily activities as soon as possible following diagnosis (i.e. be as physically active as current abilities and conditions allow)

All people with cancer should progress towards and, once achieved, maintain participation in:

at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming) each week; and

two to three resistance exercise (i.e. lifting weights) sessions each week involving moderate to vigorous-intensity exercises targeting the major muscle groups

Exercise recommendations should be tailored to the individual’s abilities noting that specific exercise programming adaptations may be required for people with cancer based on disease and treatment-related adverse effects, anticipated disease trajectory, and their health status.

Exercise Helps to Treat Cancers

An extensive review of research shows that exercise:

• reduces the side effects of chemotherapy treatments including nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and increases bone strength and muscle mass (Curr Treat Options Oncol, 2008;9:135-46)
• increases the percentage of people who are able to complete full-dose chemotherapy regimens (J Clin Oncol, 2007;25:4396-404)
• can increase tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy (Cancer Prev Res (Phila), 2013;6:925-37)
• reduces heart damage from chemotherapy (Circulation, 2011;124:642-50)
• markedly reduces arm swelling from extensive breast cancer surgery (N Engl J Med, 2009;361:664-73)
• is associated with a 50 percent increased survival rate in patients treated for breast cancer (JAMA, 2005;393:2479-86) and colon cancer (J Clin Oncol, 2006;24:3535-41)
• is associated with a 70 percent risk reduction of high-grade, advanced or fatal prostate cancers (Arch Intern Med, 2005;165:1005-10)

A regular exercise program reduced carcinogenic inflammation, strengthened the immune system, and improved mental processing by increasing apoptosis and by lowering cancer-inducing insulin-like growth factor 1, DNA damage, and gene mutations (Br J Cancer, 2011;105:S52-73). Exercise reduced cancer patients’ anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and exercise specifically can reduce the massive upper arm swelling and fluid retention common in women treated for breast cancer (Med Sci Sports Exerc, Nov 2019). Exercise also helped to prevent cancer patients’ inactivity that increases the risk for heart failure (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2010;42:1409-1426).

Rules for Exercise for Cancer Patients
Cancer patients should check with their doctors prior to starting a new exercise program. If possible, most people with cancer should try to exercise at least three times per week, at a moderate intensity such as brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes, and if possible, they should also try to lift weights twice a week. I can recommend no specific exercise program for cancer patients because the amount of exercise a cancer patient can do is limited by the level of fitness, the extent of disease, treatment regimen, and other variables. In general, all exercisers – healthy or not – should follow these rules:

• Stop exercising when your muscles start to hurt, burn or feel tight. If you keep on exercising, your muscle fibers can start to tear and run out of their stored sugar supply. Your body always talks to you and tells you when this is happening. Failure to listen to your body is the most common cause of exercise injuries.

• Take the day off when your muscles feel tight or hurt after you have warmed up for five minutes or more. It is normal for muscles to feel sore when you first get up in the morning, but they should feel better after you have exercised for five to 10 minutes. Soreness after warming up means that your muscle fibers are damaged and are at increased risk for tearing if you exercise that day. Sometimes you can get away with exercising at reduced intensity on days when your muscles feel sore, but often it is best to just stop for the day.

• Stop exercising immediately if you feel increasing soreness in one spot, which can mean that a muscle is about to tear or go into a spasm. You can prevent many injuries just by stopping exercising when you feel pain in one spot and do not have pain in the same spot on the other side of your body.

#cancer #cancercouncil #canceraustralia #cancertreatment #cancersuck #leukemiawarrior #leukaemeia #leukaemiafoundationau