Fight Cancer with Fitness

Conventional wisdom might lead you to believe that exercise would be the last thing you would want to do when you’re confronting a cancer health diagnosis. But new research shows that exercise is a major weapon against cancer.

Exercise is so effective that more gyms are offering specialty workout courses geared toward cancer patients. In fact, some doctors are even “prescribing” exercise to help fight the effects of chemotherapy, telling patients to engage in stretching, walking, jogging—whatever they feel up to. However, cancer patients need to thoroughly discuss any exercise program with their doctor and/or oncologist, as there will be days when patients shouldn’t push themselves.  

After Wendy Rahn, 46, an associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota, had a double mastectomy, she experienced severe pain. She stumbled across a study about the effects of exercise on cancer and was convinced to give working out another try after a 10-year hiatus. It worked so well that she developed a nonprofit group called Survivors’ Training and opened a fitness studio in White Bear Lake, MN. The gym specializes in yoga, strength training, Pilates and Nia, which is a combination of dance and martial arts.

“I like to think of it as a support group that moves,” Rahn says.

Are you able to participate in an exercise regime? What workouts or routines do you recommend while managing a cancer health diagnosis? [The New York Times]