Being diagnosed with any form of cancer is not on anyone’s list of things to do during the course of their lifetime. Unfortunately, millions of people are diagnosed with cancer each year, some with commonly known forms of cancer and others with rare, more dangerous forms such as mesothelioma. While it may seem like being diagnosed with cancer means that patients will have to spend more time relaxing and less time engaging in activities they enjoy, this is no longer the case. Doctors are informing their patients less and less frequently to rest and relax and more frequently to get up and get moving; fitness offers cancer patients a myriad of benefits that will help them during their battle with cancer.
Studies that have been conducted in recent years have come to the conclusion that a mere 150 minutes of fitness each week has major benefits for those that have cancer and those that do not. This amount of fitness breaks down into just over 21 minutes per day of exercise, which is something everyone should do. The benefits of this amount of fitness include the obvious, such as better health and a better body, but it also has many benefits that cancer patients, especially, need. This kind of exercise can be anything enjoyable, from walking more to taking the stairs instead of the elevator to swimming or dancing with a person’s friends or family members. The point is that a more active lifestyle will help a person’s overall health in immeasurable ways.
The first reason that exercise is so important is simple; cancer patients will increase their quality of life through regular fitness. Quality of life plays a crucial role in the health of cancer patients and their recovery. A person with a better quality of life will respond better to cancer treatments and will feel better all around. This person will have more desire and more motivation to fight, making the battle easier and less stressful. Additionally, fitness will increase a person’s immune system, which plays a large part in the way a person handles treatment. Those that get plenty of exercise will feel less fatigued, less depressed and less nauseous throughout their treatment process than those who do not.
The role that fitness plays in the life of a cancer patient can make the entire process easier. This is not to say that fitness is a cure for cancer; it is not. However, it will make the side effects less severe and the overall feelings of health and well being that patients have will be greatly improved. Becoming active is a great way to feel better for cancer patients, but it is also a way to reduce their chances of having a second round with cancer by up to 40 percent.
Kind Regards to David Haas for this article.
For more information visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog