Does Dieting and Exercise Help Cancer Survivors? Lets Look Into It!

Cancer survivors may be able to reduce their risk for functional decline. A new report reveals a home-based exercise and diet program helped older survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer stay healthy. Rather than patients being told to "rest up" as in the past, doctors must encourage people to get moving as soon as they feel able.

A review of more than 60 studies for the charity found people undergoing treatment for cancer - as well as survivors - could benefit from exercise.

Exercise is a "wonder drug" for cancer survivors and may even prevent the disease coming back, according to a new report.

Body Concepts Cancer Support said physical activity should be "prescribed" by doctors after "hard evidence" showed it can significantly help recovery and prevent other long-term illnesses.

Various studies, mainly on women with early-stage breast cancer, suggest that physical activity can improve cancer survivors' quality of life, lessen the impact of treatment side effects and help in their overall recovery. But more data are needed. While exercise, even just living an active life, is universally considered important for cancer survivors, researchers are trying to understand the extent of its rehabilitative value and how best to administer and monitor it.

The Exercise and Thrive sessions are supervised by medical staff and take 90 minutes each. They touch upon the main physical components - flexibility, strength and aerobics - and about 30 minutes of group discussion, sometimes centered on questions such as, "How in balance does your life feel right now?" Participants also learn about nutrition and other mind-body activities such as yoga and pilates.

There was 27 people participating in the initial round of the classes. The participants range from people who have gone through recent treatment to those who have been symptom-free for years.

Results of two studies on bowel cancer also show the risk of dying or the disease coming back is cut by about 50% in patients taking six hours a week of moderate intensity exercise, with around a 30% lower risk of dying among prostate cancer patients and a 57% lower rate of disease progression if they do three hours of moderate exercise weekly.

According to studies, older cancer survivors represent an important target because cancer and its treatments are associated with accelerated rates of functional decline. They say many older cancer survivors also report poor lifestyle behaviors.

Ways regular exercise may help you during cancer treatment

•Keep or improve your physical abilities

•Better balance, lower risk of falls and broken bones

•Keep muscles from wasting due to inactivity

•Lower the risk of heart disease

•Lessen the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones that are more likely to break)

•Improve blood flow to legs and lower risk of blood clots

•Make you less dependent on others to do normal activities of daily living

•Improve your self-esteem

•Lower the risk of anxiety and depression

•Lessen nausea

•Improve your ability to keep social contacts

•Fewer symptoms of tiredness (fatigue)

•Help you control your weight

•Improve your quality of life

I am happy to see this is becoming more common knowledge in the 21 century and I applaud the doctors for pointing it out, because we still do not know a lot about how exercise and physical activity affect your recovery from cancer, or their effects on the immune system. We know with personal training that regular moderate exercise has been linked to show good results and feedback among cancer victims! Thank you.

Richard Stadnyk - Owner/Personal Trainer Specialist

Posted in: cancer,Dieting,Exercise,Survivors?