Most breast cancer patients shy away from exercising, putting it in the too hard basket.
And with chemotherapy, radiation plus ordinary life struggles to deal with, who can really blame them?
The good news is that our friends at Pear Exercise Physiology are here to help. They have specially structured classes just for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment.
Esme and Nicole are fully Accredited Exercise Physiologists and their fun Pinkmoves movement classes are tailored to help relieve problems like numbness, pins and needles, loss of mobility, and discomfort in the upper body that many of us experience after breast cancer surgeries.
Pear Exercise Physiology talked to Be Uplifted Inc about the ten biggest benefits exercise has for breast cancer patients. Put on your running shoes and read on!
1. Regular exercise can lower your cancer risk, and also lower the risk of cancer returning.
2. Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight by building muscle and burning fat. And being overweight also can increase the risk of a recurrence of breast cancer, so that is a very big incentive to get moving!
3. You may have fewer and less severe side effects from breast cancer treatment when you exercise. In fact, exercise has been known to ease breast cancer symptoms like nausea during chemotherapy, improve blood flow to the legs, reducing the risk of blood clots, ease constipation, stimulate digestion and elimination systems, rev up your sex drive and increase your energy.
4. Exercise gives you more energy. And for those who are fighting the horrible side effect of fatigue during and after treatment of their breast cancer, it is good to know that regular exercise can boost your endurance and help your heart and lungs work more efficiently, both of which give you more energy for the work you do each day.
5. You’ll have better mobility if you exercise. Scar tissue that forms after breast cancer surgery, reconstruction or radiation can lead to your arm and shoulder muscles feeling tight. Over time, particularly if you are under the loving care of an Accredited Exercise Physiologists like the team at Pear Exercise Physiology, careful stretching exercises can improve motion and flexibility.
6. Exercise can help you build more muscle and be stronger. For breast cancer patients, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy medicines can throw you into sudden menopause, which also can cause muscle mass to decrease. Strength training exercises can help make sure you have more muscle than fat – which means you’ll be able to carry groceries, pick up your pets or grandchildren, and take the stairs.
7. Regular exercise can keep your bones healthy. We all lose bone mass as we age, but for breast cancer survivors, maintaining healthy bones is especially important.
8. You’ll feel better about yourself. A breast cancer diagnosis can leave some women feeling scared, depressed, and anxious. Exercise can help lift your spirits, keep depression at bay, and boost your self- esteem. Physical activity triggers the release of brain chemicals such as endorphins that can make you feel happier and more relaxed.
9. Regular exercise can lead to better sleep.
10. You’ll be less stressed if you exercise, with increased endorphin production. Plus exercise is also great type of meditation. When you get active your mind focuses on just one task and forgets about the day’s annoyances and settles into a calm, clear state of mind.