Keep Moving, Keep Fighting: the benefits of exercise in the fight against cancer

This week I am pleased to present a guest blog from a writer with a great message. Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April. If you would like to contact her she can be reached at healthylizd@gmail.com.

Cancer can seem like an unbearable illness to deal with emotionally, mentally, and physically. Not only does it seem to isolate those who suffer from it, but it also saps the body of its energy. Because of this it seems as if the most comfortable way to deal with cancer is to take medication and rest. While at times these methods may seem like good options, it is incredibly important to exercise regularly. Exercise can rejuvenate the body and has even been shown to help slow down the spread of certain cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer and even more rare forms of cancer like mesothelioma.

While exercising may seem like a difficult thing to start when diagnosed with cancer the benefits of even small amounts of exercise can produce extremely positive results. For example, a woman reported that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she began a walking regimen of only half a mile per day. At the beginning she felt worn out from the disease and treatments she was getting, but within one weeks time she noticed a difference in her overall demeanor and energy levels. She continued with the regimen and her treatment and as time went by she felt better and better. Not only was she helping her body fight the cancer at the moment, she was also shaping her health habits to possibly prevent other problems. During that year the treatments and exercise helped to reduce the cancer and eventually she was cancer free. The exercise did not stop there. She began working out at a local gym to improve her health further. This is just one example of many on how exercising has helped to treat some of the many symptoms of cancer.

One of the most important aspects of the story and of exercising in general is the will to start. It is important to understand the benefit of exercise, large or small, in fighting cancer. Talking to a physician or friends to help get a routine started is key, especially in the initial stages of the disease. Like in the story above, exercise will have an enormous impact on the fight against cancer.

Liz Davies