Article by Award winning fitness expert Dean Hodgkin.
Exercise before, during or post cancer treatment can be of significant value to middle-aged women, both physically and mentally. It has to be recognised, however, the precise dosage and style of exercise may need to be adapted to each person at different stages of their personal journey.
BEFORE TREATMENT
According to Macmillan Cancer Support, being active before you start cancer treatment may result in less side effects or them being less severe and could also help you to recover more quickly. However, once a diagnosis is received you might not have much time before starting treatment but even a small increase in physical activity and just a few healthy tweaks to your diet can pay dividends.
DURING TREATMENT
In general terms, however, exercise can bring the following benefits:
Reduced cancer-related fatigue that affects around 80% of sufferers and often isn’t helped by rest alone.
Helps to defend against bone density and muscle loss associated with menopause but also exacerbated by chemotherapy.
Although some cancers are associated with weight loss, some common treatments lead to a slowing of the metabolism and an increase in appetite resulting in weight gain which regular exercise can counter.
Improves mood which makes it easier to manage the anxiety and stress during a particularly emotional period.
Less pronounced treatment side effects such as peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment and shortness of breath.
Decreased risk of cardiovascular conditions linked to a number of cancer treatments
POST TREATMENT
A study published Cancer Research UK shows that starting an exercise programme soon after finishing chemotherapy led to people surviving cancer for longer and might also lower the risk of some cancers returning.
WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE
Award winning fitness expert, Dean Hodgkin, suggests that what and how much you do will be dependent upon how regularly you exercise already, what activities you enjoy, any treatment side effects you’re experiencing and the type of cancer you have. For example, heavy lifting is not advised for those with bone metastases, reduce fall risk in cases of neuropathy and reduce intensity if suffering lymphedema or infection.
The ideal approach aims to develop strength, stamina, mobility and balance so a weekly plan would look like:
