Exercise Helps Battle Effects of Cancer Treatments
Courtesy of our friends at Life Fitness
Here are two studies that blow traditional theories of how to treat and recover from cancer out of the water.
Rather than rest, aerobic exercise and strength training have emerged as the keys to reducing the pain and fatigue that accompany the treatment of cancer.
A six-week study of 32 patients rehabilitating from high-dose chemotherapy concluded that those who walked on a treadmill exhibited both higher hemoglobin concentration and maximum physical performance.
And none of the 16 patients who walked regularly reported feeling fatigued during their daily activities as compared to 25 percent of those who remained sedentary.
A second study of 20 cancer patients who had recently undergone chemotherapy examined their responses to a program of aerobic exercise and strength and flexibility training.
After 10 weeks, average strength increased by 43 percent and the time patients were able to spend on the aerobic machines nearly doubled.
The benefits of exercise extended beyond physical measurements…
When questioned about their quality of life, participants noted improvements in all psychological areas as well as a reduced perception of pain.
According to James Sallis, Ph.D., professor of psychology at San Diego State University, ”Patients and healthcare providers should be interested in adding physical activity to the treatment regimen as a means of improving quality of life.”
Sources: Cancer, September 1997 ; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, January 1998
Tags: fitness program, exercise program
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Enjoyed your post on “more proof cancer patients need more exercise not more rest”. With patients suffering from pain or fatigue we noticed those who were more active had better coping skills as well.
I find very interesting this part
“A second study of 20 cancer patients who had recently undergone chemotherapy examined their responses to a program of aerobic exercise and strength and flexibility training. ”
my wife works in oncology and she agrees with this post 100%. Thanks !
Cancer will afflict one of three women and one in two men in their lifetimes in the United States.It is the one disease that seems to strike fear in the hearts and minds of all people, lurking like the thief in the night, waiting to rob people of their strength, their vitality and their accumulated riches. Unlike other major chronic diseases, it can attack different parts of the body, and then spread to consume the entire body.