Benefits of Exercise after Cancer

This is a feature article that was written by Liz Davies. Thank you Liz for your contribution!

Cancer patients experience a wide range of symptoms due to their treatments. Successfully beating cancer isn't the end of the fight. In fact, a patient may still feel a wide range of symptoms after they have officially beat cancer. Many of these symptoms come from the treatment itself.

These symptoms are often outside of the control of the patient. However, fatigue, depression, hopelessness and some physical pain can actually be relieved by exercise and proper nutrition. Before starting an exercise routine, patients should discuss the types of exercise they are capable of performing to avoid injury.

Fatigue can wear down a person with cancer and make it hard for them to get through their day. It can last for months even after your treatments. These treatments are important to save lives but the fatigue can often make them feel unbearable. Exercise will help increase metabolism and boost energy levels. An increased metabolism automatically creates more energy as it causes the body to break down and utilize all the calories in the body more effectively.

As a result, fatigue will often begin to disappear. Depression and hopelessness are the next symptoms that are lessened by exercise. These symptoms are relieved due to endorphins that are released in your body during exercise. These endorphins are designed to help relieve physical pain and also help boost your mood. So, endorphins offer a dual benefit: relieving physical as well as mental pain. This benefit has been tested multiple times in patients, with the result always being positive.

Other studies have also found that patients that are physically fit, active and not overweight have lower remission rates and higher success rates. Patients that simply cannot be bothered to exercise may find their cancer coming back quickly and with even worse symptoms. Exercise has been shown to eliminate remission rates of certain cancers by almost 50%. In fact, exercise and proper nutrition can even serve as a way to eliminate the chance of getting cancer in the first place.

What kinds of exercise are appropriate after cancer? That all depends on the severity of the disease and the health of the patient. Patients should always talk to their doctor before beginning a routine. Aerobics, strength, balance and stretching exercises should all be integrated but some cancers like lung cancer and mesothelioma causes patients to focus on more cardio based exercises. Proper nutrition should focus on highly balanced, high protein diets designed to rebuild your body after surviving your cancer treatments.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April. If you have any questions, contact Liz at healthylizd@gmail.com.

I Gave Up, Then Came to My Senses!

If you're new to the exercise game, getting back into it, or are a seasoned pro we ALL go through the same day where we absolutely DO NOT want to work out. My day was today.

I go through the same thing about every Tuesday. Why it's Tuesday? I don't know. It just always seems like the day I go through this. I start off the day great, work is busy enough and mid afternoon I hit a little bit of a lull, but then get a second wind and start to get excited and pumped to get home and workout. I head out of work a little early to pick up my youngest from daycare, stop by the grocery store for some supplies then head home. I get in the door and what I had originally planned to take place, didn't. As those of us with kids know all too well, right?!! So I start to get supper ready, get the oldest started on his reading for the night, and have the youngest playing some learning games on the computer. We sit down to eat spaghetti. I do have to mention that I used this new fettuccine Miracle Noodle, which is a noodle that has zero calories. One thing I forgot to do was pat down the pasta after rinsing it so my spaghetti was really runny and I couldn't quite stomach the clear, squid looking calorie-less noodles. Fettuccine is my least favorite pasta, so maybe that was it. I have angel hair and rice, so I will try those and see how that goes. Anyway, back to my original story. Got done eating. Helped oldest with his Spanish homework, cuddled with my youngest while my oldest painted his model airplane. My most awesome and thoughtful friend brought me a shovel, because he knew it was supposed to snow tonight and that I didn't have one. Shortly after that, got my kids up to get ready for bed and while they brushed their teeth, I got into my workout clothes, with almost every intention of working out. Got boys tucked in and kissed goodnight and after 30 minutes of "mom, i pooped, come wipe my butt", "mom, I'm scared of the dark can you turn the bathroom light on", "mom, i can't sleep with the light on", "mom, brother won't let me have the light on and I'm scared and want to sleep in your room" I finally get them settled into bed with a compromise of the bathroom light on but with the door mostly shut so it doesn't bother my oldest. By time I get downstairs to work out, I feel exhausted and depleted of my "excitement" to work out. So I start the normal conversation I have with myself and almost convince myself that suuuurrrreeee, I will totally wake up early the next morning and do two workouts to make up for my lack of one tonight. Then I sit down look at my computer and remember all the people I am accountable to. My almost 2,000 Twitter followers, my almost 400 friends on Facebook, my 60 Facebook Page fans, my accountability partner Cal with whom we are doing a Beachbody Challenge, the people I talk to every day to explain this wonderful business I am called Beachbody, my boys who look up to me as a role model and lastly, but certainly not least, myself! I am doing this for myself! No one else can push me or make me do it, but ME!! So I switch my attitude and start listening to the Chalene Johnson voice in me that tells me, "ok, you wanna flake out on your workout, fine, but you gotta do at least 5 minutes". So I do, I start with 5 minutes. But you know what, I kept going. Once you start, it's easy to keep going.

I finished my workout and although I do still feel tired, I'm extremely proud of myself and glad I did it. I didn't give up on myself. Even the best of us have bad days and want to give up but it's how you reverse that conversation with yourself to make sure that you DON'T give up that is most important.

You are the only person standing in your path to success, get out of your own way!

Skinny Phoenix