Many people do as much as they can to move as little as possible, like driving around a parking lot until they get a spot that will limit their walking, or taking an elevator or escalator for one flight instead of the stairs. This tendency usually worsens with age, as you get winded more quickly and feel more aches and pains, even though movement often brings relief to many of those aches and pains. Exercise improves the flow of synovial fluid, or joint fluid, which lubricates the joints as they slide against one another. Exercise also increases the flow of blood and nutrients throughout the body while facilitating the removal of waste. And let’s not forget the mental and emotional boost it can provide.
Exercise has also been proven to reduce the risk of some cancers.
It can be very difficult for cancer patients to exert physical effort while dealing with exhaustion or side effects. Options become more limited as cancer or any other serious disease progresse. That said, our bodies were made to move. To feel better physically and emotionally, do what you can without causing yourself harm and your caregiver a heart attack. You may need to remain seated or reclined, and that’s okay. Turn your head left to right, up and down. Scrunch your shoulders up and down, forward and back. Do some bicep curls. Stretch and bend your legs. Flex your feet. Start where you are and do whatever you can to get your body in motion on a regular basis.
For those of us with the ability to be out and about, the following table shows various types of physical activity on a scale from light to vigorous.
The cancer-exercise connection
Results from an exercise study at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY) found that people with high-risk breast cancer who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity before and after their diagnosis had a statistically significant reduction in their chance of cancer recurrence or death. The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute for doctors / scientists and summarized here in plain English for the rest of us.
The sad truth, though, is that even physically active people get cancer, including stage 4 cancers. I have been physically active my entire adult life, and I’ve been trying not to slow down too much as I get older.
Yet another very important truth is that people with sedentary lifestyles are at higher risk for some cancers and other health problems. Do you want to be dealing with cancer and heart disease simultaneously? Plus exercise just feels good, especially as a shared activity or when it’s done outdoors in a nice setting in nature.
Exercise delivers benefits beyond cancer protection
In most cases, once a body is in motion and stays in motion, it feels good! The problem is getting in motion.
That doesn’t get any easier as we age. Bodies start to settle and ache, and it requires more effort just to get out of a chair. But resist the urge to give in to inertia, aches, and pains. Push through instead, slowly and safely of course and at a pace that works for you. If you have been inactive or you are in the midst of active treatment or dealing with advancing cancer, of course consult with your doctor first.
You’ve got nothing to lose but extra pounds and some aches and pains, and a whole bunch of benefits to gain.
Exercise tips and tools from American Cancer Society (calculators, how to make exercise work for you and more usable information)