Does Exercise Help Fight Cancer? What Are The Benefits?

Does exercise help fight cancer? The answer to this question will surprise most people. Continue reading to find out how doing regular exercise can benefit you and how it can help ward away certain types of cancer. After reading the article, you can follow this link to read how gym equipment can keep you healthy.

 

Does Exercise Help Fight Cancer?

Contrary to old beliefs, it turns out that cancer is not as unbeatable as was once thought. New evidence has come to light that doing regular exercise can help a person’s chances of beating the big C. Health experts say that a cancer diagnosis should not stop a person from doing physical exercise. If anything, the discovery of the dreaded disease should encourage people to increase doing physical activity.

 

Is It Safe?

The next questions you probably have on your mind is: Is it safe? Isn’t it dangerous to do a strenuous physical activity while a person is undergoing treatment for cancer? The answer is yes, it is safe. In fact, doing exercise before, during and after getting treatment for cancer should be encouraged as it improves the health outcomes of people battling cancer. In short, a person will have more chances of surviving the fight against cancer if they choose to stay active and get regular exercise.

However, it is still a good idea to seek the advise of a doctor before having a person who has cancer do any type of exercise. Although doing exercise while undergoing treatment for cancer may be encouraged, a doctor will be able to tell the patient what kind of exercise works best and how often it should be done. Once the go-signal is given for the person to work out, family members and close friends who help in the care of the patient may help monitor and encourage the workouts done. All workouts should be done in accordance with the recommendation of their doctor, of course.

 

Benefits Of Exercise For Cancer Patients

Aside from the most obvious benefit of increasing the chance of survival, there are other benefits that accompany doing exercise for cancer patients.

It Reduces Anxiety And Depression

Cancer patients are more prone to anxiety and depression because of the effects the disease has on their physical and mental states. Doing regular exercise will help divert the attention of cancer patients and encourage the to think of more positive thoughts. They will be given a new outlet for their stress, and their bleak outlook toward their existence will be replaced with a more optimistic outlook.

Exercise increases the production of endorphins. Endorphins can be best described as “happy” hormones that increase the feeling of happiness in your body. People suffering from colon cancer, breast cancer and other types of the disease will benefit from doing regular physical activity.

Reduced Pain

Another great thing about the endorphins that are brought about through regular physical activity and exercise is that they change the way your body perceives pain. Exercise helps increase the production of endorphins into your system. In turn, these endorphins reduce the pain that the cancer patient feels.

A person who has cancer feels pain on a day-to-day basis. Exercise can help reduce pain that is caused by the disease itself, treatment for the disease and other types of chronic pain that the cancer brings about.

Increased Energy Levels

It is natural for people who have cancer are naturally weaker than the rest of the population. However, if they incorporate regular exercise into their treatment plan, they will be able to increase their energy levels.

It Will Encourage Your Body To Fight Off The Disease

There are some studies that have produced tangible evidence to support that exercise while undergoing treatment for tumors strengthens the immune system. A person fighting cancer will be able to produce stronger anti-bodies and cells that can help reduce future tumor growth.The likelihood of developing new tumors can be lowered because of exercise.

 

Cancers That Can Be Fought Off By Regular Exercise

As of the time of this writing, there are only certain cancers that can be fought off using exercise.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease that claims countless people each year. Patients who have breast cancer, or any type of cancer that involves tumor growths may benefit from doing physical activity as they have themselves treated. Physical exercise, along with other forms of alternative medicine such as massage therapy will help a person cope with the breast cancer.

As a person gets treatment for any existing tumor growths, the body will be made ready to fight off new ones as they grow. This will make it easier for the medications to get rid of the cancer cells that already exist in patients with breast cancer.

Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is another type of cancer that claims many victims. Colon cancer in particular is said to be one of the most painful types of cancer. Colon cancer can also be fought off using physical activity. Patients who have colon cancer should be encouraged to do exercise to help them overcome the pain that is associated with colon cancer.

Also, like breast cancer patients, colon cancer patients will also benefit from doing exercise to produce antibodies that can fight against the production of new cancer cells. The cells of colon cancer can be fought off with the use of regular exercise.

 

Exercise vs Cancer

People who have breast cancer, colon cancer or other types of cancer will benefit from doing regular exercise. Staying physically active and doing simple exercises if the patient is unable to exert much effort will go a long way in the fight to rid the body of those murderous cancer cells.

If the cancer patient was doing lots of physical activity before being diagnosed, it will be easier for them to stay active during their time of treatment. However, what kind of exercise will work best? Should cancer patients be concentrated on cardio exercises, yoga or something else entirely?

Knowing what kind of exercise can be safely practiced by a certain patient is the job of the doctor. They will be able to discern what kind of exercises a patient should concentrate on doing depending on the physical health, fitness level and capabilities of the patient. No matter what exercise is recommended, it will go a long way for the patient. As long as the patient does the exercise regularly, it will keep their bodies active, helping them take advantage of the benefits that accompany exercise. Doctors can also closely monitor their patients and see how the cancer cells respond to exercise, and inform patients about how they should adjust their exercise plan according to this.

Medical experts who advocate exercise as part of the treatment plan for patients with cancer dream of a day when cancer will be like any other disease that can be treated. Exercise and daily physical activity are helping the medical community better understand how cancer cells respond to a body that is trying to remain fit despite having a disease like cancer.

 

Final Thoughts

Are you fighting cancer at the moment? Do you have a loved one that has been diagnosed with colon cancer, breast cancer or any other type of cancer will most likely do better to do some form of exercise while they are battling the disease.

Because of exercise, the human race has come this much closer to beating cancer. Getting regular exercise and keeping active, no matter how hard it is, will help a person get over the pain, anxiety and other difficult parts of cancer. In short, to answer the main question in this article, it is possible to fight cancer off using exercise. As long as you do exercise that is within what your doctor allows, cancer patients may wield it to their advantage and use physical activity to ultimately become cancer free.