Yes. Breast cancer survivors have faced many challenges in their personal conquest of cancer. Lifestyle choices made by breast cancer survivors impact disease prognosis, quality of life, and survival. Exercise for breast cancer survivors is empowering and beneficial in a variety of ways.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the rate of recurrence of breast cancer dramatically, by 25% to 50%, according to a study of over 2,100 survivors who were nurses. The degree of decreased risk, and therefore, the important benefit of increased survival, was associated with the amount of exercise. For example, survivors who walked for one hour to less than 3 hours per week had 25% lower risk of breast cancer recurrence, whereas survivors who walked 3 to 8 hours per week had 50% lower risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Among the possible reasons for the benefit is a reduction in circulating estrogen, which otherwise can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent cancer cells. By burning up stored fat, exercise can reduce the amount of estrogen that would otherwise be produced by fat cells. Other possible reasons for decreased risk of recurrence of breast cancer are improved immune response, improved levels of metabolic hormones, and reductions in internal levels of toxic substances called free radicals.
In addition, another study demonstrated that quality of life of breast cancer survivors was almost comparable to that the general population of women in the U.S. Interestingly, according to the long-term (more than 10-year) study of 374 survivors of breast cancer living in Los Angeles county, many of the survivors had became more physically active after experiencing breast cancer.
Breast cancer survivors who exercise have the following advantages, according to some studies correlating effects and some studies directly testing effects of exercise:
Greater strength, better ability to do physical tasks, and improved physical fitness
Decreased fatigue and increased energy level
Improved cardiovascular performance and cardiovascular endurance
Reduced body pain
Improved immune functioning
Less confusion from “chemo brain”
Improved overall health
Decreased anxiety and depression and improved ability to cope
Higher self-esteem, increased satisfaction with life, and better emotional well-being
Improved quality of life
Lowered rates of recurrence of cancer
Increased survival
Admittedly, it is formally unproven whether exercise activity caused the multitude of quality-of-life advantages for survivors, or whether having better quality of life resulted in some survivors participating in more exercise. Many doctors and patients believe, however, that exercise is responsible for better quality of life and improved outcome of breast cancer, as well as for all diseases. Make sure your doctors and other healthcare professionals with whom you are working believe in empowering you.
Types of exercise suggested for breast cancer survivors include:
Walking
Cycling
Aerobics
Jogging
Stationary bicycle, Stairmaster, or treadmill
Light weightlifting
Swimming
Dancing
Yoga
When considering an exercise program, other factors to discuss with your doctor are bone density, the presence of bone pain, and your energy level, and your overall health. Recommendations for activity generally include the following:
Moderate intensity exercises for 20 to 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes performed 3 to 5 times a week.
If your health conditions require that you start with very short periods of exercise alternating with short periods of rest, that is all right.
Regardless of what type of exercise you choose, consult with your doctor before beginning, start slowly, don’t push yourself, and only do what is comfortable for you.
Helping you make your exercise program effective, safe, and fun, there are a book, educational posters, and a video available from different sources that explain and demonstrate fitness exercises designed for breast cancer survivors (See our Resources page).
Every year, a key breast cancer patient advocacy group, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, raises money for research by sponsoring the Race for the Cure, in which breast cancer survivors and their loved ones in many cities in the U.S. put on their Nikes and Adidas and run.
Be active after breast cancer, and truly live life.
Please check our Resources page for texts containing additional information.
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