CrossFit Open 2017 Finished – RXed Every Work Out!
A blog follower of mine emailed me and sent me a great article. Cancer is something that hits home for me, as my Dad and maternal grandmother both passed away from complications due to its awfulness. I wonder now if my Dad could’ve lived a healthier life had he practiced better diet and exercise habits. When Melanie sent me this, I decided it was worth sharing. I hope it can help others!
Get Up and Moving After Cancer with Fitness Tips
New studies have shown a correlation between daily exercise and cancer prevention. However, does physical fitness work for those who already have cancer or who are in recovery? Remarkably, yes! Many studies have shown that just by changing your diet and choosing physical activity each day, you can significantly reduce your risk of cancer returning and prevent other cancers. However, it’s also important to remember which exercises are appropriate related to what type of cancer you have. For instance, certain exercise may help those with mesothelioma but not necessarily ovarian cancer. Researchers from a Mayo Clinic study have shown that patients who exercised regularly before diagnoses were also more likely to exercise after being diagnosed with cancer. One of the hardest parts is figuring out where to start with physical activity and how hard to push yourself when going through recovery.
Is Physical Fitness Safe After Cancer
For many patients, the biggest question is whether the body can handle the physical stress of working out. The answer is yes, in most cases. Obviously, it’s important to speak with a doctor about what kinds of activities you can do safely. But, if you choose low impact exercises such as walking, yoga, tai chi, rowing machines and swimming, you can likely get in a varied amount of exercise every day without really putting any stress on your joints. In addition, there are a ton of benefits for exercising every day.
Benefits of Finding a Daily Routine
Everyone will have a different way of working out. For many, a rigid schedule allows them to know exactly when to work out, while others need a more relaxed routine, getting in short rounds of exercise whenever possible or at least once a day. For example, walking in the morning is a great way to start out the day! Physical activity allows you to alleviate stress, build muscle, gain energy balance and even increase your mental wellbeing. If cancer affected a part of the body in a great way, it can even be necessary to improve functionality and mobility.
Types of Exercises to Try
Cancer patients need to start where they are comfortable. For those who were very active before diagnosis, it may be easier to get back into a routine. However, if you have been going through radiation and chemotherapy, you may want to avoid public gyms and being outdoors for long periods of time in the sun. It’s important to not push yourself as hard as you can but to push enough until you build stronger muscles and endurance. For that reason, low impact exercises are probably the best way to start. You can begin with weight lifting, rowing machines, cycling, yoga, martial arts training like tai chi, and swimming. Each of these activities is rigorous yet, can also be modified for your activity level and needs, which is necessary particularly if you had a more severe treatment process.
Fitness can definitely help those suffering from cancer. With a greater knowledge of how physical activity affects cancer patients, doctors can offer better ways to improve mobility in their patients.
-Melanie Bowen
If you would like to get in touch with Melanie, please feel free to leave a comment on this post. I will make sure the message gets to her.
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