Sunday, February 12, 2012

Exercise Improves Quality of Life


Guest post written by,
David Haas

Physical activity helps control weight and helps you to maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles and it reduces your risk of becoming diabetic and having problems with high blood pressure. In addition, physical activity allows you to live a longer, healthier life. The biggest benefit of exercise for someone going through a comprehensive treatment like mesothelioma treatment might actually be the fact that exercise promotes psychological well being and provides patients with a reason to feel good rather than bad. The National Cancer Institute cites research that proves physical activity after a cancer diagnosis improves quality of life and reduces fatigue, which balances energy and makes the patient more capable of handling the stress of cancer treatment

No matter what stage of cancer you are experiencing – from diagnosis to treatment to remission – physical activity plays a crucial role in your ability to handle stress and improve the quality of your life. Once you are cancer free and living in remission, your doctor will tell you that you need to include exercise in your daily life to keep yourself as healthy as possible to help prevent the onset of other diseases. However, your doctor will also tell you that you need to exercise no matter what and no matter when. The benefits of exercise are too numerous to ignore.

Research indicates that adults need at least two and a half hours a week of physical activity; broken down that equals 20 minutes every day, which is not too much to ask. Additionally, the type of exercise you do should include something you enjoy. If you do not enjoy running, running is not the best exercise to take up because you will dread doing it and eventually quit because of your dislike for the exercise. Instead, take up something you enjoy, such as dancing, walking or swimming. Biking is another great form of exercise that is beneficial to your overall health.

Health matters aside, getting a little exercise will help you feel better not only about yourself but about everything. The hormone produced when you exercise rids your body of the hormones caused by stress, which not only improves your immune system but your mood as well. With an improved immune system your body is able to more adequately attack your cancer during treatment and your prognosis will improve. A positive attitude can change more than just your outlook on life; it can change your life. Exercising is not going to rid your body of tumors or cancer but it will rid your body of other toxic hormones that do not promote quality of life, which is something that matters most when you are undergoing treatment for cancer. Get up and exercise when you have the energy.

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