Exercise and Cancer......some good information.

I was contacted by a man by the name of David Hass who found my blog and has recently been researching and writing about how beneficial cancer support networks and staying physically fit is to people going through cancer treatment.  Below is his article sharing some of the research he has done.  Thanks for sharing David!

The Benefits of Exercising When Dealing with Cancer

Anybody who has ever had any experience with cancer knows that it takes a tremendous toll on a person's body and mind. With the amount of stress the body is placed under, exercise is highly beneficial for any cancer patient, whether beginning treatments or going through remission. The benefit of exercise is the same for every type of cancer, whether it's breast cancer, mesothelioma or kidney cancer.

In addition to the typical benefits of exercise, like a decrease in body fat and a gain in lean muscle, exercise can help cancer patients to feel less nausea and fatigue. It can even help cancer treatments to be more effective, by aiding in building the body's natural defenses. Many exercising cancer patients have found that they have more energy, better moods and even a better quality of life than they felt they had before exercising.

Though some studies are beginning to show that exercise can be a cure for cancer, more research is needed to determine the validity of this claim. One study, called Move More, found that a breast cancer patient's risk of recurrence could be decreased by as much as 40 percent, just by spending two and a half hours a week exercising. Even if exercise is not a cure for cancer, the benefit of more effective treatments, reduced recurrence rates, and an overall sense of well being, make it worthwhile.

Everyone knows that exercise is important and good for him or her. What many people may not know, however, is that being overweight may be a link to certain types of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov). Exercising won't necessarily prevent cancer, but it will better equip a person's body to work through treatments more easily and survive the cancer.

For many cancers, treatment options can be rough. Some options include surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy (these options are typical for most cancers). Each option is very taxing on the body, and if the body begins treatment in a weakened state, due to a lack of exercise, it can be harder to go through surgery or chemo successfully. Exercising, whether it's through yoga, swimming, or a nightly walk, can help strengthen the body and prepare it for treatment and help make these procedures more effective. Even after the cancer is gone, maintaining a regular fitness regimen can be beneficial in helping prevent the cancer from returning.

By: David Haas