Being told you have cancer can really be a shocking experience. It will probably upset every part of your current life. New research shows that the best first thing to do when receiving this news is to get up and take a little walk, lift a little weight and stretch for a little while. This way you can begin to feel better mentally and physically right away.
According to Cheryl Rock, PhD, RD and colleagues, breast cancer survivors who eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day plus exercise cut their risk of dying by half.
In their research study, they followed 1,490 women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer for 11 years. Their findings make it clear that this combination of diet plus exercise was key in cutting the risk of death. And this was true and consistent regardless of what the woman weighed. Being physically active and eating more produce is what made the difference.
Exercise is essential for living after this diagnosis, but it is also a very challenging expectation. We are in a society that does not encourage self-care or physical activity. Our daily life is full of barriers that keep us from doing what’s good for our own health. It takes advanced and complex planning skills in time management to add exercise to our already over-filled daily schedule.
You’ll need to figure out what forms of physical activity are most convenient, fit your personality style, are basically enjoyable to you and that fit into your lifestyle and financial situation. This will take some analysis and we’ll cover more of these details in future blogs. Right now, just do something – anything – and and start today!
Alice Lockridge,
MS Phys Ed - Exercise Physiologist for Every Body!
PRO♥FIT