Exercise - Key to Survivorship

November 8, 2009

If you read through almost any survivorship literature (websites, pamphlets, facebook groups), you will see survivors and experts alike touting the importance of exercise, starting with exercise during treatment. Almost equally as prevelant are mentions in the literature about the need to stimulate the mind during treatment. Some Danish researchers got together and thought - Hey maybe if we combine mind and body exercise, we will see better results in patients undergoing chemotherapy. They designed a study that included weight training, yoga, mind-body awareness training, and massage, and they saw significant improvements in the self-esteem and reduced fatigue. So it turns out the Danes were right - combining the two seems to be a good move. It is easy to understand why you might find it difficult to fit a similar plan in during your treatment; maybe one way to think about exercise, yoga, and similar efforts is that they are, in fact, part of your treatment. Since treatment is aiming to make you feel better, and exercise seems to do that, it seems to be a logical way to think about it :)

WebMD published a great article detailing the study - check it out