Fitness Can Be A Lifeline For Cancer Survivors
Mental and physical stress is definitely two everyday factors in the life of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. Though a cancer diagnosis of any kind (including common cancers such as breast cancer and even rare cancers like mesothelioma) can cause anxiety and stress, there is something that cancer survivors can do to help improve their day-to-day well being. Cancer patients who exercise consistently have been shown to have lower mortality rates and better quality of life than those patients who are inactive. It may not be the first thing on the mind of a survivor after they come home from a chemotherapy session, but maintaining a fitness routine is vital to living the best life possible.
An informative brochure put out by the Cancer Resource Center at the University of California – San Francisco states that clinical trials have revealed some significant gains for cancer patients who decide to keep exercising while they undergo cancer treatments. For example, the conductors of the clinical trials discovered that prostate cancer survivors who exercised not only reduced their risk of developing incontinence, but they also were able to diminish the side effects of treatments like radiation and hormone therapy. For women who had received a breast cancer diagnosis, those who exercised lowered their chances of dying by 64%. These results show the importance of exercise in the lives of those people who wish to do more than just sit by and wait for cancer to take their lives. Even with just a little exercise, the quality of life and the life expectancy can be greatly improved for cancer survivors.
Though exercise may not be the cure for cancer, society can no longer deny that it significantly helps those who may be going through the mental anguish of a cancer diagnosis or the physical pain of cancer treatments. In the aforementioned document, clinical scholars at the UC-San Francisco found that all that colon cancer survivors had to do was set aside 6 hours per week for walking at an average pace to achieve a “47% improvement in disease-free survival" compared with their inactive counterparts. This means that, for some cancer survivors, a little exercise has gone a long way in helping them to stay alive. Not only will developing a fitness plan help cancer patients ease their mental stress, but it can clearly help them with the physical fight as well. There is no doubt that exercise takes care of both the body and the mind, helping survivors achieve a well balanced life.
An informative brochure put out by the Cancer Resource Center at the University of California – San Francisco states that clinical trials have revealed some significant gains for cancer patients who decide to keep exercising while they undergo cancer treatments. For example, the conductors of the clinical trials discovered that prostate cancer survivors who exercised not only reduced their risk of developing incontinence, but they also were able to diminish the side effects of treatments like radiation and hormone therapy. For women who had received a breast cancer diagnosis, those who exercised lowered their chances of dying by 64%. These results show the importance of exercise in the lives of those people who wish to do more than just sit by and wait for cancer to take their lives. Even with just a little exercise, the quality of life and the life expectancy can be greatly improved for cancer survivors.
Though exercise may not be the cure for cancer, society can no longer deny that it significantly helps those who may be going through the mental anguish of a cancer diagnosis or the physical pain of cancer treatments. In the aforementioned document, clinical scholars at the UC-San Francisco found that all that colon cancer survivors had to do was set aside 6 hours per week for walking at an average pace to achieve a “47% improvement in disease-free survival" compared with their inactive counterparts. This means that, for some cancer survivors, a little exercise has gone a long way in helping them to stay alive. Not only will developing a fitness plan help cancer patients ease their mental stress, but it can clearly help them with the physical fight as well. There is no doubt that exercise takes care of both the body and the mind, helping survivors achieve a well balanced life.
By: David Haas
This was submitted and asked that I post this information up and is not an advertisement but info to help those with cancers. Thank You David Haas for sharing this info.
3 comments:
I have no doubt this is true, since many cancer patients die from blood clots (from being in bed or sitting too much without moving around); pneumonia (same reasons)and general deconditioning of course leads to weakened heart muscles.
I also have no doubts about the benefits of exercise. It truly does help both body and mind. For those with cancer and for those without.
Good advice for everyone!
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