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The recovery process of cancer itself is not just traumatic but very extensive as well. It goes without saying that opting for exercises for cancer patients is not just to improve their physical but mental health as well.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle is not at all ideal for people who are struggling with cancer or are in remission. Having a fair knowledge of the exercises will come in handy for handling the condition altogether.
By the end of this article, you will have a fair idea about the exercise, the impact of exercises and even why it is important for cancer patients.
Exercises for Cancer Patients
When we are talking about the exercise program for cancer patients, it is not necessarily something hardcore.
It is always best suggested to start with something less strenuous and then go on with the same as the time progresses.
Some of the best exercises for cancer patients include:
1. Aerobics
Aerobics is an amazing way to kick-start your exercise program with something that you will be able to enjoy effectively.
Not many cancer patients in remission tend to like indulging in exercises when they are recovering and this is actually an amazing way to keep that in check.
Some of the aerobics exercises (R) include swimming, walking, cycling and the whole lot. These are not just fun to do but have been witnessed to impose amazing impacts in burning the calories and helping you maintain a steady weight.
If you didn’t know any better, one of the most important things to maintain for cancer patients is their weight. Weight gain can often pan out to be a threat for their well being.
If the statistics from the National Cancer Institute is to be believed, they suggest that indulging in physical activity like that of aerobics have been found fruitful in reducing the risks of breast cancer by 20-80%, the risks of endometrial cancer by 20-40% and the risk of colon cancer by 30-40%.
Aerobic exercises, on the whole have been proven to have amazing impacts in cancer patients who are in remission and recovering.
2. Strength Training
Strength training (R) is yet another type of exercises for cancer patients fitness after treatment. These forms of exercises have been found to help tone the muscle, fight muscle wasting and such which is often one of the problems associated with cancer.
Given the fact that chemotherapy has impacts in the bone density, it is not surprising that indulging in strength training is important in restoring muscle strength. You can use dumbbells or even weight machines, whatever suits your boat.
Many people have this ideology that strength training helps in increasing bone density, but that is not the case. It helps maintain the muscle and bone strength and thus keeps everything in check.
That being said, this is one of those exercises for cancer patients that one should consult their doctor for.
3. Balance Exercises
If you are wondering what even balance exercises have to do with the overall prospect of cancer treatment and recovery, it is time to change their thought process.
Cancer patients who do undergo chemotherapy are at an exposed risk of developing conditions associated with their lack of balance. Also, for the patients who have undergone a drastic change in their bone mass, one fall can end up being the reason behind a fracture.
This is the primary reason why balance exercises are considered as a must when it comes to the prospects of cancer patients.
Some of the effective balancing exercises include:
- Single leg stand
- Grapevines
These are the exercises for cancer patients that they can opt for just after their treatment is done with.
4. Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises is particularly amazing for cancer patients who have lost mobility in certain parts of their body post the treatment or the surgeries.
Experts do suggest that the breast cancer patients who have recently undergone mastectomies tend to feel tenderness and numbness around the shoulder girdles and the area where the rotator cuff is. Stretching exercises do help in improving the flexibility and the strength around the area.
There is a very possibility for people to overdo the stretching exercises to a point that it ends up inflicting pain. Avoid doing that. The exercises for cancer patients during treatment or even after treatment are meant to boost up their recovery process and not make it worse.
Make sure to consult with the doctor prior to indulging in any of the exercises because you never know which one suits you and which one doesn’t.
5. Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises for cancer patients is beneficial to boost not just their physical but mental health as well.
It might not seem like much but the breathing exercises does help in calming down the mind and bring in peace, which is important for patients who have undergone so much of hassle altogether.
Make sure to stick to easy breathing exercises in the beginning and then find the ones that do suit you time and schedule and mould it accordingly.
Why Should A Cancer Patient Exercise?
Often times, several cancer patients tend to have this common question as to why it is important to opt for the best exercise for cancer patients.
The benefits of the exercise not just help in the process of recovery but has also been found to have beneficial impacts in both the physical as well as mental health of an individual.
Weight gain because of a sedentary lifestyle post treatment is very common in several patients and that is exactly what one needs to avoid doing.
Some of the common benefits of exercise for cancer patients include:
- It helps in boosting the overall physical health by boosting the overall muscle and bone strength and getting rid of the weakness that builds over time
- Exercise has been reported to have amazing impacts in getting rid of the fatigue as well as the constant tiredness that majority of the cancer patients tend to struggle with.
- Exercises for cancer patients after treatment has been found to help reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes.
- Last but not the least is the fact that the exercise program for cancer patients helps in getting rid of the whiny and bad mood in the people who are recovering from their struggle altogether.
When To Start Exercising For Cancer Patients?
It is not necessarily a new concept that people diagnosed with cancer tend to have increased risks of becoming immobile and very assertive of their condition. There are even people who tend to close off and let stress and depression take a toll on their mental health.
In order to not make the things worse, it is actually very important to ensure that you do indulge in exercising right off the bat.
This helps ensure that you get a hang of the exercise programs and patterns and then adhere to the same even when the treatment is done with.
Exercise for cancer patients is necessary for their overall health, well being and recovery. It is very important to opt for something that is approved by the doctor and won’t necessarily harm your health for the worse.
