Cancer and Exercise: Help for Chemotherapy Side Effects
Exercising during cancer treatment sounds like a tall order. And with little wonder. We all know about the side effects of cancer treatment, and in particular chemotherapy. It can take more strength than you thought you had to fight through these symptoms.
So why would someone suggest cancer and exercise when patients are already being pushed to their limits?
I want to review a study with you that highlights the phases of cancer and exercise to support patients through treatment and survival.
But first, if you want a Free Checklist of The Benefits of Exercise for Cancer Patients, just click the link below and get your Free Download.
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE FOR CANCER PATIENTS DOWNLOAD
Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Any treatment comes with side effects and chemotherapy is particularly devastating with a vast number and variety of side effects. Some are obvious like hair loss and muscle loss. The not so obvious are even more devastating – fatigue, nausea, pain. This is why treatment is a battle. And now, in the midst of this battle, I’m saying to you let’s get out and exercise. “Ya right” you laugh back at me and think there is no way that cancer and exercise should be used in the same sentence. So how is it that cancer patients are actually deciding to take that step to exercise? And it’s not just patients and survivors that were ‘former’ runners and athletes. Cancer and exercise is for almost anyone who has decided to fight the side effects of cancer treatment with a tool called exercise.
Cancer and Exercise Research
Research in Denmark including both breast and cancer patients decided to do something a little differently. They wanted to find patients diagnosed with cancer who did NOT exercise and had no interest in starting. These patients indicated that exercise is boring, that they don’t have the discipline to exercise, and stress from work all made it impossible to exercise. But hold on a minute. We know lots of people who don’t exercise for these exact reasons so why should this be different for cancer patients? What’s different is the diagnosis. And that’s what makes exercise and lifestyle change so important. But being diagnosed didn’t change anything. The patients in the study did NOT attempt to start exercise after being diagnosed. The ‘transformation’ of these exercise haters didn’t start with diagnosis – it took four phases. Phase 1 The first phase is called the “transformational step”. This happened when each cancer patient was provided with information and education about the benefits of exercise including how exercise can help to decrease the side effects of chemo treatment. But it’s not just the information. It’s that the information and education was provided by someone trusted by the patient – a health care professional and member of the patient’s team. Patient indicated that this phase- Improved their mood
- Made them feel safe with choosing exercise
- Reduced the feeling of being powerless against cancer
- Gave them a positive focus (exercise) instead of thinking of chemo
Adamsen, Anderson et al. Rethinking Exercise Identity: a qualitative study of physically inactive cancer patients’ transforming process while undergoing chemotherapy