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Maintaining Health > Exercising After Breast Cancer Treatment |
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Benefits of Exercise for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Improved healing and recovery from surgery
- Decreased lymphedema
- Higher energy levels, less fatigue
- Weight loss
- Decreased nausea
- Less pain
- Improved body and self-image
- Decreased anxiety
- Improved social interactions
- Better sense of control
- Improved depression and mood
- Better sleep patterns
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Coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer can be an overwhelming process. Women undergoing treatment for breast cancer have to deal with significant physical and emotional side effects. Physical activity and exercise can play important roles in your healing and recovery process. Exercise can be beneficial in the treatment of the physical effects of breast cancer and its treatment, through improved recovery from surgery, reduced fatigue, weight loss, and improved lymphatic flow. Exercise may also counter some of the emotional effects of breast cancer, such as poor body image, anxiety, loss of control, and depression. Cancer survivors commonly receive advice to rest and limit their activities during treatment. Such restriction of activities promotes muscular wasting and reduces functional capacity. You should begin physical rehabilitation programs as soon as pain and other complications of cancer therapy are controlled. Maintaining an exercise program throughout cancer treatment is not only safe, but it is also an effective way to manage symptoms and side effects. Some breast cancer survivors are accustomed to exercise while others have been relatively inactive either recently or all of their lives. Regardless of your exercise experience, you can benefit from the addition of physical activity to your breast cancer treatment plan. Survivors who are used to vigorous activity often want to continue exercising during and after breast cancer treatment to maintain their lifestyle and feeling of well-being. Such exercise is generally safe, although it will likely need to be reduced for a time to avoid injuries and other problems. In contrast, women who have been sedentary may need encouragement to begin a physical activity program at a time when fatigue and weakness from treatment make them want to take it easy. The appropriate type, intensity and timing of exercise are different for each woman.
Women often do not know how to begin their recovery from cancer treatment. Many feel that they would benefit from an exercise program during or after treatment but are unsure about what would be best for them and how to start. Your basic exercise program might include walking, weight training, swimming, or yoga. Start off slowly and easily, gradually building stamina and strength.
Ask your physician for recommendations or a referral to a physical therapy program at your clinic or hospital. A physical therapist can teach exercises to strengthen the arm and should after surgery, as well as exercise to help regain strength needed to perform your daily routine. In addition, physical therapists can provide information and instruction on lymphedema prevention and management. Be sure to talk with your physician if you are thinking of adopting any exercise program. Exercising after surgery will help you to regain motion and strength in your arm and shoulder. Physical activity is particularly important for breast cancer survivors who have undergone axillary node surgery. After a lymph node operation, you may experience limitation of arm and shoulder movements and a loss of flexibility and strength in your arm and shoulder. It is important to work on gentle stretching of the shoulder and arm to gradually stretch the tissues back to their normal state. Your exercises can begin slowly and gently after surgery, and gradually you can become more active. If you have a surgical drain in place, your surgeon may advise you to wait until after this is removed to do any exercise. Your surgeon or physical therapist should monitor post-operative exercise for arm range motion. While most women regain their full range of motion in four to 12 weeks, some experience ongoing tightness and restricted motion. In addition to exercise, use your arms as much as possible for activities such as reaching, combing your hair, eating and washing and drying yourself. Try to let your arms swing from the shoulder when you walk. It may feel more comfortable to bend your elbows when walking briskly.
Courtesy of: Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, Julie Gralow, MD, and Lisa Talbott. Breast Fitness, An Optimal Exercise and Health Plan for reducing your Risk of Breast Cancer is copyright 2000 by the authors. Reprinted with permission from St. Martin's Press, LLC. Breast Fitness is available online at www.amazon.com.
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