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Thursday, 7 February 2013

Exercise Benefits Cancer Patients

This is a guest post written by Melanie Bowen of the Cancer Alliance blog, Mesothelioma. Melanie is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the suffering of Cancer patients through the combined efforts of a healthy diet and regular exercise - something that can often be overlooked when faced with a dominating health scare like cancer.

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When people are diagnosed with cancer, one of the last things on their minds is fitness. However, many doctors consider exercise to be an important part of cancer treatment. Furthermore, research has shown that if people exercise during cancer treatments, they will allow their heart and lungs to be fully functional, and exercise will speed up their recovery process.

Benefits of exercise during cancer treatment

There are many benefits to exercising during cancer treatment. During cancer treatments, patients will experience a lot of fatigue; therefore, they may feel that they do not have the energy to engage in any type of physical activity. However, even light exercises will be very beneficial for patients. By engaging in light exercises, the patients will increase their energy level, and this will allow them to approach their remaining treatment sessions with enthusiasm. In addition, for those who can do moderate exercises, those could prove to be even more beneficial for patients. When patients engage in moderate exercises, they will have more energy, be more positive and experience less fatigue.

Mesothelioma and other cancers cause the body to lose muscle strength. By engaging in strength training exercises, the patients will prevent their bodies from becoming weaker. Finally, exercising will improve the mood of the patients. Cancer treatment can cause the patients to become sad, depressed, or angry; however, when they begin to exercise, their bodies will release endorphins. These endorphins will help to prevent these negative feelings.

Benefits of exercise after cancer treatment

Although exercise is great during the cancer treatment, patients will also benefit from exercising after their treatment is complete. After the treatment process is complete, the patients will have an increased risk of developing heart issues, and they will have an increased risk of bone fractures. Some cancer treatments may cause the patients to experience a lot of pain however, by exercising; patients can actually reduce pain and reduce the chances of the cancer returning.

Cancer can be devastating, but with a daily routine of exercise, people can continue to maintain a high quality of life. Furthermore, exercising can possibly give them the opportunity to enjoy the same activities that they enjoyed before they were diagnosed with cancer.

Katie says: As Melanie has stated, the benefits of fitness and eating healthy are indisputable during and after a diagnosis of any kind of cancer. While each different cancer has its limitations, if one can keep a healthy body, they have a much better chance to overcome this awful disease. It's definitely a message that needs to be spread, especially given how common cancer is becoming among our generation today. If you or any of your close friends/family are in the process of overcoming cancer, take a look over on the Mesothelioma blog to find out more. Thanks, Melanie :).

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