How Exercise Can Help Cancer Patients
Over the weekend, I visited EbruTV to film a segment dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The panel included cancer survivor Dominick Rodriguez from the SAMFund, Anne Hogan a breast cancer survivor and long-time volunteer for the Adelphi Breast Cancer hotline , Dr. Bart Rossi a Political Psychologist and NMFIT.
Each expert shared their expertise on how to deal with being diagnosed with cancer and the resources available when seeking support. As a fitness expert, I expressed the importance of keeping an active lifestyle. Doctors are now encouraging patients to keep moving in comparison to strict bed rest that was usually suggested in the past. Always consult a doctor before jumping into any form of fitness and most certainly avoid physical fitness if it causes pain.
By moving you avoid the loss of body function, muscle weakness and reduced range in motion. Inflammation in the body has been linked to cancer, exercise decreases inflammation. Below I have listed a few additional benefits of fitness when it comes to battling the disease.
- Improved balanced (lower risk of falls)
- Higher quality of life
- Lower risk fo depression
- Lessen fatigue
- Improved self-esteem
- Lessen nausea
- Improve self-esteem
- Encourages independence and the ability to lead normal daily activities.
Diet is such an important aspect when looking to create a lifestyle. There a number of foods that have been linked to cancer that Americans consume on a daily basis. For example, high sugar levels can lead to inflammation that has been known to cause cancer. Sugar has also been known to feed tumors increasing in size. Salmon is a healthy option however 60% of salmon in the United States is farm-raised. These fish are contaminated with chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides and other carcinogens. Beware of highly processed flours are bleached with chlorine gas and found in many processed foods.
Being aware and reading food and product labels is so important!
For more information on sugar and inflammation click here!
Training minds, changing bodies!
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