Recently updated on October 25th, 2022 at 11:02 am
Cancer is one of the most feared conditions because it is recognized as potentially fatal. Getting diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like cancer is tragic, painful, and unimaginably hard to process and overcome. It is easy to feel overwhelmed at losing your physical health and feel your mental health deteriorate.
Cancer is a generic term for a range of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth in a particular part of the body. Some of the more serious cancers affect the crucial internal organs such as the brain, the heart, and the lungs. Since cancer cells damage and weakens the body, medical practitioners initially believed cancer patients should avoid that exercise. However, recent studies have found that cancer patients who continued low-intensity workouts during treatments like chemotherapy were able to recover more quickly. Even patients with the more critical lung cancer mesothelioma could improve the quality of their life with exercise.
Fighting Cancer Lawsuits
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One of the known causes of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure- a group of six naturally occurring minerals with heat-resistant fibers. Many industries around the globe use these fibers. It was used by the armed forces, naval ships, and the construction industry until the nineteen-eighties. It exposed many workers, army, and navy veterans to risk. Inhaling these fibers can cause cancer in the lungs, abdomen, or heart lining- commonly termed mesothelioma.
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma upon coming in contact with asbestos, you should consider filing a lawsuit against the company that put you or them at risk. Getting a lawyer to fight your case will not give you back your health, but it will get you justice and compensation for the harm caused. If you live in Ohio, you can google “mesothelioma lawyer Ohio” to find a specialist attorney who will help you get justice and financial compensation by holding the companies producing asbestos-containing products accountable.
Fighting Cancer with Exercise
It is important to note that cancer is not always terminal. It is possible to get treatment and recover from it in most cases. Researchers have found daily exercise and physical activity as beneficial in treating cancer. Exercising causes less fatigue, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and keeps your body healthy enough to get through medical treatment. To aid you or your loved one in their recovery, we have listed some exercises for fighting against cancer and coming out healthier than ever.
1. Breathing exercises
Many lung cancer patients experience shortness of breath and find breathing difficult. Practicing some breathing exercises may help restore breath and improve endurance. To start your exercise plan, you can try breathing exercises like pursed-lip breathing, Diaphragmatic breathing, and box breathing. Breathing exercises will help build up your stamina, strengthen your lungs, and improve immunity.
Furthermore, the stress and anxiety levels after a cancer diagnosis are usually high. It is not easy to live with your diagnosis and health status constantly in your head. Breathing exercises help you calm down and relax your mind and body. Hence, reducing stress levels.
2. Aerobic exercises
Daily aerobics exercise is beneficial for cancer patients to strengthen their immunity and improve their fitness and health. Aerobic exercise increases one’s heart rate and strengthens the heart. Also, since aerobics require physical exertion, it builds up stamina and increases oxygen capacity, which helps vitalize the lungs. A strong heart and lungs mean better endurance during extensive treatment procedures.
The best thing about aerobics is that you can do any physical activity that sounds fun, including dancing, walking, and even swimming.
While planning your aerobics routine, doctors recommend starting it slow. You may benefit by starting with a low-intensity workout to avoid overdoing it and burning out. You can begin by walking for 30 to 40 minutes every day and then move to 20-30 minutes. Once you feel your confidence and strength building up, you can increase the time frame for your aerobic activity.
3. Strength-training
Cancer patients often feel weak and tired, which may deter them from moving their bodies. As a result, they lose muscle mass and experience deteriorating physical strength. Some cancer treatments, such as chemo and radiation therapy, also lead to muscle weakness.
It is not unusual for a cancer patient to lie down in bed for long periods and feel incredibly weak at the thought of getting up from their position. Strength training helps you get the muscle mass you lost through cancer treatments and inactivity. It helps build and strengthen your muscles, improves your balance and posture, and makes it easier to do your daily tasks. You may not find your fatigue disappearing, but you may start feeling stronger once you begin your strength training.
4. Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises are known to improve your balance, posture, and flexibility. Stretching your body allows the blood and oxygen to flow into your muscles, making your body flexible. Now, how do flexibility and muscle elasticity contribute to treating cancer? Stretching exercises increase one’s lung capacity, helping them with shortness of breath and breathing difficulty.
Furthermore, most cancer patients lack the strength to move their bodies, which often causes muscle stiffness. Stretching can help you reduce the stiffness in your muscles and allows you to move more freely than you were able to before. The body flexibility makes it easier to be more active and perform mundane tasks when you would otherwise feel too drained to do so. Moreover, cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, can cause muscle stiffness. Stretching your body can break scar tissue and loosen up your muscles.
5. Balancing exercises
Some cancer patients experience a loss of balance after several cancer treatments. Losing balance is also normal when cancer patients are too weak to move with fluidity, which often puts them at risk of falls or injury. Regularly engaging in balancing exercises can help regain body mobility, enabling you to perform your daily activities better.
Some cancer surgeries or treatments lead to muscle imbalances which can contribute to difficulty in maintaining good balance. For instance, chemotherapy can cause numbness in the muscles, making it difficult to remain steady on your feet. Hence, balance training can help you overcome muscle imbalance and improve body functionality. If you have good posture and balance, you would also be less at risk for injuries due to falls from fatigue and body weakness.
Conclusion
Your body goes through a lot after your cancer diagnosis. With countless treatments, medicines, and extensive stress and anxiety, recovery from cancer can be painful and strenuous. Beyond keeping you physically healthy during your cancer treatment, exercising also helps keep your mental health in check. Hence, incorporate some exercise into your daily activity while you recover so you have all the strength you need to fight your cancer head-on.
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