Staying active during cancer treatment. Why is it important?

Many researches on that topic have shown that for cancer patients, being active is very beneficial. In fact, exercise is very important both during and after cancer treatment. But is it safe to exercise during chemotherapy? What intensity is recommended? And what kind of physical activity to choose? Answer to these questions you will find below.

What are the benefits?

Many studies have shown that regular exercises in any form can improve physical and mental well-being. To be effective, they don’t need to be intensive. It’s worth starting to exercise, even if you haven’t been too active before treatment. The benefits are countless. But what exactly are they?

• Improvement of physical condition and mobility;
• Prevention of muscle loss, improvement of balance and strength;
• Support in upkeep of mental well-being and reducing stress;
• Improvement of sleep and life quality;
• Prevention of weight gain and development of other diseases.

Making your body stronger plays a very important role in maintaining or improving its proper functioning.

How to start?

The very first thing you should do is to talk with your doctor. Your ability to stay active may depend on various factors such as the type of your cancer, treatment, other health problems or even side effects you are experiencing. You must also be aware that if you were active before treatment, you might not be able to follow your past routine. Getting back on track will take sometime, and it’s best to not pressure yourself onto overloading. It’s best to reach out for a qualified trainer who will prepare an exercise plan suitable for you. You can prepare such a plan also by yourself, but remember to choose such exercises that make you feel happy, not stressed out.

If you are undergoing chemotherapy, you should be especially cautious. This treatment has a very strong influence on your body. Exercise and chemotherapy is not impossible, but you should stay under constant medical supervision. Some drugs used during this treatment can cause disruption or damage to the heart. Its proper functioning is crucial during any physical activity, so usually it’s recommended to choose only low intensity exercise. After chemotherapy, you can start slowly progressing intensity of workout.

What are the recommended activities?

The most recommended activities and exercises for people during and after cancer treatment are:

• Breathing exercise – it’s one of the relaxation techniques that help in reducing stress and anxiety, and it has many benefits for both body and mind. Breathing exercises strengthen your lungs by improving air flow and their endurance. It’s especially recommended for people who have difficulty breathing, which may stop them from being active.
• Stretching – it’s really helpful in releasing tension in muscles that could be caused by stress. At the same time it improves oxygen flow and blood flow, therefore muscles can work more effectively. It can help you get back on track with exercises after treatment, such as radiotherapy that very often makes muscles stiffen.
• Aerobic – these exercises are also known as cardio. This types of exercises are well known for benefiting not only muscles but also cardiovascular system. Regular aerobic exercises can help in reducing fatigue after treatment. It includes many forms of activity, and even walking for 20-40 minutes will provide enough movement.

It’s also a good idea to introduce variety into your exercise plan, which will allow to diverse the different aspects of your body functioning. If your condition allows it, you should also include resistance training or strength training. Such exercises help in maintaining and building strong muscles, thus it also strengthens your body and allows it to work better and feel less tired.

How often you should exercise?

You don’t need to start with a heavy workout routine. According to the American Cancer Association, 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week is enough to keep your body in a good condition. It’s an excellent idea to divide it into 20-30 minutes of movement each week day. This way you will provide yourself a regular dose of physical activity which will improve work and general condition of your body. You also need to remember that it’s not a competition, and you don’t need to hurry. You can start from very low impact activities and slowly introduce more demanding ones. It’s very important to listen to your body, which means You shouldn’t push or force yourself too much if you feel fatigue.