Thursday, January 5, 2012

Improve your Cancer Treatments with Fitness

A cancer diagnosis, though it may feel like it, is not the beginning of the end; it is the beginning. When your doctor breaks the unbearable news to you that you are suffering from a rare form of cancer, such as mesothelioma, it is easy for you to feel defeated – in addition to an array of other emotional extremes. Mesothelioma doctors will go over your treatment options and what to expect during the process of treating your cancer. While the information your doctor provides you with is all new and confusing, you may be surprised to hear that your doctor will recommend that you start or continue a regular fitness program.

The American Cancer Society has issued statements regarding the benefits of physical activity and fitness for cancer patients and survivors. Regular exercise increases quality of life, which increases the chances of surviving and overcoming a diagnosis of cancer. Of course, your fitness routine may change drastically once your cancer treatment begins; however, it is important you still maintain a level of physical activity as recommended by your mesothelioma doctors. During the course of your treatment and your recovery, your body may not be able to handle activities you once were able to do effortlessly. However, it is still beneficial to your health to incorporate some type of physical activity into your life several times a week, if not daily.

Don’t become defeated if you cannot exercise one day. If you haven’t the energy to take a long walk one day, take a short one around the couch, or just get out of bed to get your own glass of water instead of allowing someone else to get it for you. That small bit of physical activity, though it may not seem like it, is extremely beneficial to your health.

Fitness and exercise during and after cancer is so paramount to your quality of life that many hospitals and fitness facilities across the country are now offering yoga and other fitness classes for those living with or overcoming cancer. Ask your doctor about your fitness routine to find out what is okay for you to participate in and what you can incorporate into your life to help improve the quality of it. Fitness promotes better health, which helps your body handle the extreme treatments used to fight cancer, which will give you a better chance at overcoming this obstacle. 

-David Haas,  Cancer Patient Advocate for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. David writes and researches for the betterment of others.