Exercise And Breast Cancer
by: Sherri L Dodd
One Sunday afternoon, I stopped by a children's clothing store
to distribute a few postcards for my new book. Upon leaving the
parking lot, my six year old son caught a glimpse of "those
sticker ribbons with two lines". In my half-engaged attention,
I acknowledged his observation that there were "more than
three" on this one particular car. From his persistence to
gain my feedback, I began to focus a bit more on our conversation.
I informed him that I was not exactly clear of what he meant by
the description of this two-lined ribbon. "You know, the
red one, the boob problem, and the". Ground zero! I realized
that he was speaking of the Awareness Ribbons that so emphatically
adorn vehicles these days. I started to chuckle at his innocence
in remembering my recent 15-minute explanation of breast cancer
as "the boob problem". However, after briefly giggling
at his simplistic notion, I struck a more serious note to remember
that the disease is far from funny and can leave heartache and
devastation in its vicious path. In fact, according to Dr. Susan
Love, breast cancer affects 110 women every day.
One of my first encounters as a Personal Trainer was with a
recovering breast cancer client that came to me while working
in a swim and racquet club. If you have ever met a breast cancer
victor you will notice that their eyes reflect a beautiful understanding
and acceptance of life. Even the way she approached me was filled
with grace. Wanting to strengthen her body after the illness,
she inquired about a weight training routine. She had a beaming,
yet subtle smile with each simple question that she asked of me.
To look at her would never disclose of her recent pain. Her hair
was a short trendy style, her skin tan from frequent sunshine
and her legs still presented the years of tennis that kept her
fit. I was honored to take the position as her trainer and we
worked together on a program toward rebuilding her body for not
only the purpose of strength and endurance, but to attain a touch
of inner peace as well.
Recovery from breast cancer is not so different a program than
simply exercising to avoid such a catastrophic event in a woman's
life. If you have followed fitness for any amount of time, visited
your doctor or taken a class in school, the informative path to
righteous living is well paved with getting the blood flowing
and the heart pounding. In turn, you increase your chances of
avoiding disease (heart-related, cancer, diabetes). Likewise,
if you have successfully battled breast cancer and yearn for a
method of counterattack to lessen the unpleasant after affects,
the all-knowing finger will be pointing in the same direction
a the local gym. Even as early as the 1980's, research was proving
that aerobic exercise improved fatigue levels and nausea in post
cancer patients. Fast forward to present and the benefits have
multiplied over the years. Subsequent studies indicate that weight
training, aerobic exercise, and fitness emphasizing mind and body
(i.e., yoga) all have a substantial impact of up to 25-50% improvement
on pain, fatigue, overall optimism, the general fitness level
of the individual and how much a person can improve their quality
of daily life, complete with its energy-draining tasks.
It is clear that exercise plays a tremendous role in helping
breast cancer survivors feel better. But what are the details
of program design? First and foremost, you want to stay clear
of stress on the surgical or stitched area. Next, and just as
important, begin with the usual 10-15 minute warm-up, no matter
if you are doing weight training sets, a cardio routine or a number
of yoga poses. It is after this warm-up that variety begins. For
resistance/weight training exercises, you will want to start the
initial phase of your program with a lowered weight volume but
with up to double the repetitions. Elastic tubing and bands are
also a good start for the first phase. Though you may not be directly
working the muscle tissue in your surgical area, many muscles
work together in stabilizing another muscle's contraction. The
lesser weight will insure that your wound is not overexerted to
soon. The standard 2-3 sets are appropriate with 15-20 repetitions.
Another area of exercise is that of cardiovascular training. Cardio
machines such as the treadmill or elliptical machines are good
examples that can be used for 3-4 days per week. In your initial
phase of a recovery fitness routine, you may want to follow an
interval program where you begin the session with a higher-intensity
minute followed by a low-intensity minute, totaling up to thirty
minutes. As your condition improves, you can reduce your low intensity
minute to 30 seconds and eventually eliminate it all together.
Finally, mind and body exercises such as yoga go a step further
in fitness. Not only are you strengthening your body, you are
also tapping into inner peace with each slow and controlled breath
and a static meditative posture. Ideal for achieving relaxation,
this type of training can be utilized for as little as 5-15 minute
a day and still present positive results.
While breast cancer awareness has reached far heights as even
that of former president, Bill Clinton, who signed the Breast
and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000, it does
not stop the fact that the disease continues to take more and
more lives all the time. While a cure is currently elusive, preventative
measures are not. Engaging in a fitness program that includes
healthy eating, routine exercise and positive mental development
will only help you in your quest for creating a life that will
not only enable you to enjoy the present moment, but also increase
the chances of a healthy and prolonged life.
About The Author: Sherri L Dodd is the creator and author
of the newly-released book, Mom Looks Great - The Fitness Program
for Moms. She is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer and Lifestyle
& Weight Management Consultant with over fifteen years of
exercise experience. Aside from teaching kickboxing, she has lectured
to groups on her fitness plan and is a freelance writer on the
topics of fitness and general nutrition as well as the humorous
side of motherhood. - http://momlooksgreat.com
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