One hundred and fifty minutes.
That’s the amount of time needed a week to see mortality benefits, according to a study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association.
This isn’t just a statistic for Sally Eggleston, COO of Wheelhouse and breast cancer survivor. “Exercising & then stretching out on the floor is when I felt my breast tumor,” Sally explains. “It might have went weeks longer before I felt it & got treatment if I hadn’t done exactly what I did.”
At the beginning of the year, great attention is paid to looking and feeling your best. Hydration, diet, self-care, and movement are all topics you’re probably familiar with and bored of hearing about by the end of January.
With Wheelhouse, you can discover what’s best for you and your unique circumstances and achieve greater health. Let’s look at exercise as a cancer patient and survivor!
Movement as a Cancer Patient
If you’re a cancer patient currently receiving treatment, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how to exercise. Your body’s number one goal in this period is to heal. However, with your physician’s approval, exercise is beneficial.
A study published by the American College of Cardiology found that exercise performed during chemotherapy “prevents fatigue and decreases in VO2peak, muscle strength, and HRQoL, and hastens the return of function after chemotherapy.”
“I think that exercise is always a good thing if the patient can tolerate it,” explains Rachel Wixson, a Palliative Care Nurse based in Alaska. “I encourage them to discuss it with their oncologist first, and I have a list of physical and occupational therapists that are skilled in working with oncology patients.”
“I also encourage them to listen to their bodies first and foremost and never ‘push through the pain,’” Rachel continues. “It is so easy to overdo it and though a healthy person might be able to recover quickly, someone with cancer might take days or even weeks to bounce back. They also might be on blood thinners, which can make some forms of exercise more high risk.”
Maybe going for a short walk is appropriate for you, or you can do more vigorous exercise. The key is to consult your doctor before adopting an exercise as a cancer patient. Together, you can create a plan that honors and serves what your body is working so hard to do.
Exercise as a Cancer Survivor
Exercise for cancer survivors can do more than restore physical health! It has also been shown to improve “anxiety, depressive symptoms, fatigue, physical functioning, and health-related quality of life.”
However, after cancer treatment, you can feel the expectation to return to how things were before a diagnosis. This isn’t a reality for many cancer patients.
“Developing confidence to exercise after cancer was a challenge for me,” shares Amy Kerschbaum, Wheelhouse’s CancerAlly Program Director. “Once I let go of the idea that I had to start where I left off prior to my cancer and allow myself to ‘start slowly’ I began to be able to fit exercise into my new life.”
Recognize how you and your body changed and start where you are. As a Wheelhouse member, you can also consult your CancerAlly team to talk about what is holding you back from starting to exercise and discover resources in your area.
Exercise Can Save Your Life
For Sally, exercise saved her life.
What about you? Could exercise give you a better quality of life and renewed energy? There are many reasons and seasons for not exercising, but consider when it is safe to do so and how you can build exercise into your daily rhythm of life.
“You must find your ‘why,” Sally suggests. “My why is to live healthier, and longer.”
For Wheelhouse members, your CancerAlly can help you connect with resources for exercise specific to your lifestyle and needs! Contact your cancer team today to talk about your goals.
Not a Wheelhouse member?
- Explore the resources Wheelhouse offers cancer patients from diagnosis through survivorship on our website.
- Contact us at wheelhousecares.com/contact to see what’s available for you.
- Share with your employer’s HR team how Wheelhouse cancer benefits could impact your cancer journey. We work side-by-side with employers to offer these benefits, often making Wheelhouse support available at no additional cost for employees.
