Cancer and exercise—staying fit while treating cancer
Cancer may make exercising harder—but it’s still important to try.
Always consult with your healthcare professional before starting any exercise routine.
Exercise helps fight tiredness and stress. It also helps reduce problems that may
be caused by long-term bed rest, such as stiff joints, muscle weakness, problems
with breathing, constipation, bed sores, loss of appetite, and depression.
Talk to your healthcare team about how they think you can exercise safely while
you are under treatment for cancer, then set goals for your physical activity level.
If you have someone who’s helping care for you as you’re being treated for cancer,
ask if they’d like to work out with you some time.
Getting started is easy.
Here are a few simple tips for how to stay fit while treating cancer:
- Try taking a walk every day: You don’t have to push it. Just walk
somewhere familiar, at whatever speed feels comfortable
- Stretch: Even if you’re not feeling well, stretching, yoga, and
other low-impact activities can help keep you moving
- If you’re feeling tired, ask your doctor about range-of-motion exercises:
Often, if you are in bed, you can still move your joints, or have them moved for
you. It’s good for your body, especially your muscles, to move as much as you safely
can while treating cancer
- Mental exercise is important, too: Meditation can provide mental
(and even physical) relief for many people. Meditation can be anything from simply
taking a minute of quiet to clear the mind with breathing exercise, to formal relaxation
techniques that can help you shed anxious thought-patterns. Many stores carry how-to
books that can help you learn more about meditation and relaxation techniques
Remember, fighting cancer and staying healthy are just parts of your life. Don’t
let them interfere with the things you love. If you like to read the newspaper every
morning—keep doing so. Take time for your family. And make sure to get enough sleep.
You don’t need to push yourself.
Always consult with your healthcare professional before starting any exercise routine.
Exercising while treating cancer is important. But if you’re working out and you
start to feel ill, take a break. Call your doctor if exercising makes you get weaker,
lose your balance, or fall; if you have a new pain that gets worse; if you get headaches
or become dizzy; or if you have blurred vision, numbness, or tingling in your arms
and legs.
Find out about the benefits of good
nutrition
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