Yesterday we did something that is good for us. We went to the beach. I am not saying we went and stayed all day but we did go and stay for a few hours. Thanks to my back, I couldn't walk in the loose sand. I also found I could walk in the hard packed sand but only if it was flat.
I went for a nice long walk on the beach, which successfully made my back hurt because the sand was either tilted or bumpy. But it was worth it.
We had very healthy fried clams (gluten free) on our way home but I did have a salad with home made hummus for lunch to counter act it.
It was a very nice day. But today I will go to the gym, run some errands and generally take it easy. I have to work again tomorrow and Tuesday and I worked on Friday. Two days off is not realy enough for me to get enough rest on the weekend unless I really plan it.
Seriously, a two day weekends are hard for me. I try to work my three days together and then have a four day weekend so I can recover. The next few weeks I have two day weekends, work, and then medical procedures sucking up the rest of my time.
But I digress. Off to the gym now....
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
A Workout a Day Keeps The Cancer Cooties Away.
Maybe an apple a day too. When I was in treatment for breast cancer, I would go for a daily walk, every day unless hospitalized. It helped with destressing, medication side effects, and I really liked getting outside and stepping away from the doom and gloom. No one ever told me not to walk. The nurses and doctors all thought it was great.
Since then I have had to join a gym for dilapidated people where there are physical therapists and all sorts of people to help us do things like stand on one foot without falling over. I'm not kidding. I no longer exercise every day because I can't. I need a day off between working out. But I still go to the gym three times a week and I go for a 90 minute walk once a week with a friend. Apparently I am on the right track here.
There will be an announcement at the upcoming ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncologists) annual meeting in June about the importance of daily exercise for better cancer outcomes and reducing cancer risk. This annual meeting is always full of good news for us cancer people and I do look forward to reading what is announced.
They had a preview meeting the other day where they announced a few tidbits, one of which was the benefits of daily exercise. They call it "A Workout A Day May Keep Cancer Away" but I like my title better.
Today I will go for my walk with a friend. Tomorrow I will go to the gym. I'm all for keeping the cancer cooties away.
Since then I have had to join a gym for dilapidated people where there are physical therapists and all sorts of people to help us do things like stand on one foot without falling over. I'm not kidding. I no longer exercise every day because I can't. I need a day off between working out. But I still go to the gym three times a week and I go for a 90 minute walk once a week with a friend. Apparently I am on the right track here.
There will be an announcement at the upcoming ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncologists) annual meeting in June about the importance of daily exercise for better cancer outcomes and reducing cancer risk. This annual meeting is always full of good news for us cancer people and I do look forward to reading what is announced.
They had a preview meeting the other day where they announced a few tidbits, one of which was the benefits of daily exercise. They call it "A Workout A Day May Keep Cancer Away" but I like my title better.
Today I will go for my walk with a friend. Tomorrow I will go to the gym. I'm all for keeping the cancer cooties away.
The post cancer life
Life after a cancer diagnosis is never the same as before. They (this is the proverbial them) tell you that you will reach a new normal - whatever that is.
Some people turn their diagnosis into a turning point in their life where they start eating organic food, take better care of themselves, and appreciate the little things in life.
I can say that while I used to exercise regularly. Now I even belong to a gym - it maybe one for dilapidated people - but I even go to it three times a week. And attempt to go for a walk one time a week. I am pretty sure I reach the minimum suggested exercise requirements. I am also attempting personal deflabbification but that seems to have worked not quite as well - I'm going to have to have a conversation with the bathroom scale sooner or later.
I did find an article recently that a study was done (because we need another study) that only 10% of women post breast cancer treatment are getting enough exercise. This is compared to 39% prior to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Doesn't this sound kind of backwards?
There are many average people you hear about that after cancer they turned their life around and got in shape for the first time. But evidently its not as many as we might think. Do the women take their cancer diagnosis as a reason to give up? It should be just the opposite.
I'm not perfect by any stretch but I do exercise.
Some people turn their diagnosis into a turning point in their life where they start eating organic food, take better care of themselves, and appreciate the little things in life.
I can say that while I used to exercise regularly. Now I even belong to a gym - it maybe one for dilapidated people - but I even go to it three times a week. And attempt to go for a walk one time a week. I am pretty sure I reach the minimum suggested exercise requirements. I am also attempting personal deflabbification but that seems to have worked not quite as well - I'm going to have to have a conversation with the bathroom scale sooner or later.
I did find an article recently that a study was done (because we need another study) that only 10% of women post breast cancer treatment are getting enough exercise. This is compared to 39% prior to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Doesn't this sound kind of backwards?
There are many average people you hear about that after cancer they turned their life around and got in shape for the first time. But evidently its not as many as we might think. Do the women take their cancer diagnosis as a reason to give up? It should be just the opposite.
I'm not perfect by any stretch but I do exercise.
Life is a verb
Every week at work, we get take out for lunch. Its our little splurge and relieves lunch boredom. We don't get anything fancy - any local restaurant will do from salads, pizza, Chinese, Vietnamese, deli, etc. Each week we start our little discussion on where to get lunch around 830am. Some people think that is a little early to start thinking about what I consider to be the best part of the workday, but some of us think that's right on time.
Our current favorite is a little Vietnamese place. We each have a favorite dish. And it comes with fortune cookies. Go figure. I didn't think the had Chinese fortune cookies in China, let alone in Vietnam. But this is my cookie from the last time we ate there.
I do believe life is a verb, as in an action word. You can't sit still because life will pass you by. But when I try to be active, I pay the price the next day.
I go to the gym three times a week, usually Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Yesterday I went after work. Today I am very sore in all the usual places and then some. Every three months at the gym, I am entitled to a free session with a trainer to tweak my work out.
Last time we cut it way down because my rheumatoid drugs had yet to kick in. She wanted me to up the cardio from two sessions of 20 minutes each, to each session of 25 or more minutes each.I have done this so I am closer to an hour of cardio three times a week which is a good thing.
We also cut back the number of machines and free weight sets I do to have of what it was, but we increased the reps on the few that were left. She said try 20-25 reps and one or two sets. This has been working but if I get ambitious and try to do more, I spend the next day paying the price.
My hands are not as sore as they were but other body parts hurt more. I think the RA meds might finally be kicking in but that leaves me with fibro pain, which is way more 'fun'.
But I will continually to be active in my life and not sit idly and let it pass me by.
Get out of my way
As part of my routine, I am going to the gym after work today. I go three days a week regularly and I am serious about my workout. I bring my nook or a book so I don't have to talk to poeple I don't want to on the cardio machines. I have a routine, 45-50 cardio, four machines, and the rest in the mat room. I have a schedule to meet - I need to get through my routine and go home before I collapse in exhaustion after a long day at work.
I know the gym will be annoyingly crowded by all these resolution types. I hate the gym for the first three weeks of January - that is how long the average New Year's Resolution lasts. Then they give up and don't come back to the gym until January of next year.
But for the next three weeks, all you resolution people need to keep out of the way of the regulars.
But in my cynical 'New Me' way, I am more likely to say 'get out of my way' and stop hogging the machines.
I know the gym will be annoyingly crowded by all these resolution types. I hate the gym for the first three weeks of January - that is how long the average New Year's Resolution lasts. Then they give up and don't come back to the gym until January of next year.
But for the next three weeks, all you resolution people need to keep out of the way of the regulars.
- You look at the machines and cant figure out how they work because it has been so long since you were there. So you fiddle, and hopefully will not hurt yourself, and take a long time to sit there between sets because you probably put too many pounds on the machine.
- Yes a stationary bicycle is slightly different than one you ride down the street. No kick stand to start with.
- You probably walk slower than you think on the treadmill. Start slowly and build up. Don't jump on at 5 mph or you will probably land on your butt.
But in my cynical 'New Me' way, I am more likely to say 'get out of my way' and stop hogging the machines.
Exercise and me
As an adult, I have been good at exercise. When I was a child, I was a dedicated athlete and ice skated daily before school, after school, on weekends, in skating shows, and basically a lot. Then I discovered being a teenager is more fun than spending your life at a skating rink and I was less of an athlete but generally active.
Eventually I discovered the benefit of a daily walk and walked my way through cancer, multiple surgeries (benign and malignant), and all sorts of fun. When I turned40 37 for the fourth time, I joined a gym. Then my back started to hurt and nearly a decade later, I joined a gym for decrepit people. They are familiar with decrepit people and health issues. In fact yesterday when I was there, there were two people on cardio machines while on oxygen.
As part of my expensive (but worth every penny) gym membership, I get a three month evaluation free of charge. Yesterday we talked about how I can exercise with RA and fibro to my best benefit. We went from the 'lets do lots of things to keep in as best shape as we can' to 'lets do a few things to preserve balance, flexibility, and strength without injury or causing more pain'.
Now my work out consists of 45-50 minutes of cardio instead of 40 and maybe 10 exercises at lower weights for 1 set of 25 reps instead of 20 exercises at medium weights for 2 sets of 15 reps.
I tried it yesterday. Last night I was hobbling around. Today I am still hobbling but haven't decided if it is caused by my workout yesterday. Today I am not exercising unless going to the grocery store counts. Pushing around a big grocery card can cause pain. I just won't buy a lot of heavy things.
I will get exercise again tomorrow I think. I have to skip a day between work outs or I end up in bed for a few days. Call me wimpy but call me alive.
Eventually I discovered the benefit of a daily walk and walked my way through cancer, multiple surgeries (benign and malignant), and all sorts of fun. When I turned
As part of my expensive (but worth every penny) gym membership, I get a three month evaluation free of charge. Yesterday we talked about how I can exercise with RA and fibro to my best benefit. We went from the 'lets do lots of things to keep in as best shape as we can' to 'lets do a few things to preserve balance, flexibility, and strength without injury or causing more pain'.
Now my work out consists of 45-50 minutes of cardio instead of 40 and maybe 10 exercises at lower weights for 1 set of 25 reps instead of 20 exercises at medium weights for 2 sets of 15 reps.
I tried it yesterday. Last night I was hobbling around. Today I am still hobbling but haven't decided if it is caused by my workout yesterday. Today I am not exercising unless going to the grocery store counts. Pushing around a big grocery card can cause pain. I just won't buy a lot of heavy things.
I will get exercise again tomorrow I think. I have to skip a day between work outs or I end up in bed for a few days. Call me wimpy but call me alive.
Blah, blah, blah, exercise...
Cancer people are special. You can't just categorize us and tell us to get out and exercise. We need more than that. We need a bit of hand holding and direction. We have concerns about what we are capable of and may have new limitations that we are unsure about.
Several new studies (of course they were needed to keep researchers busy) were announced at ASCO earlier this summer. The conclusions were:
My feeling is that exercise is good and it relieves a lot of stress and prevents many diseases (this is from the person who spent most of yesterday on the living room couch). But after surgeries where I had lymphedema issues and my back started to go bad, getting started in a regular exercise program was harder than I thought. I have many limitations that prevent me from doing basic things - no treadmill, no twisting my back, no jumping up and down, and more.
But with guidance from trainers, I have learned what I can and can't do. It has been a learning experience but for the first time in my life I have stomach and arm muscles.
So before more researchers get rich deciding what cancer people need for exercise, talk to your doctor about limitations and then find a trainer who can work with you to figure out what you can do.
Several new studies (of course they were needed to keep researchers busy) were announced at ASCO earlier this summer. The conclusions were:
- Clear benefits were shown in several studies of exercise during and after treatment help decrease side effects and reduce the risk of recurrence.
- Cancer patients need a bit more direction than 'just go exercise' they need help with what time of exercise to do - whether newly starting or adding to an existing exercise regimen.
My feeling is that exercise is good and it relieves a lot of stress and prevents many diseases (this is from the person who spent most of yesterday on the living room couch). But after surgeries where I had lymphedema issues and my back started to go bad, getting started in a regular exercise program was harder than I thought. I have many limitations that prevent me from doing basic things - no treadmill, no twisting my back, no jumping up and down, and more.
But with guidance from trainers, I have learned what I can and can't do. It has been a learning experience but for the first time in my life I have stomach and arm muscles.
So before more researchers get rich deciding what cancer people need for exercise, talk to your doctor about limitations and then find a trainer who can work with you to figure out what you can do.
Years of work to get to the state I am in
I have worked very hard for many years to get my body into the shape that it is in. Its taken many years of sports - ice skating, skiing (alpine and nordic), snow shoeing, biking, hiking, roller blading, and more - to get to this finely honed 'state'. I get aches and pains all over but now its mostly in my hips.
These days my biggest problem is that I have bursitis in my hips. I have had it in my left hip for about five years. Now I have signs of it in my right hip. What can you do for bursitis? Anti-inflammatories - which I take daily. Ice - which I use regularly. And rest - which I also parttake of. I am happy to sit around and be lazy. I also have had multiple cortisone injections.
And it still hurts. But I (suck it up and) go to the gym and attempt to exercise regularly (because that prevents cancer and all sorts of other good things). It does limit me to three times a week at the gym. I can't work out without a day off in between. If I do, I end up in a lot more pain.
What is bursitis? It is inflammation of the bursar which are little sacs located in major joints - like your hips. It is caused primarily by over use I think. Sort of what I have done to my knees and ankles as well.
So to round out the back pain which is exacerbated if I attempt to stand up for more than ten minutes at a time, my hips then hurt if I sit in the wrong position, or any position some days. I have to sleep with a pillow behind my knees so they don't pull on my back. I take my pain pills, my pain patch, and ice pack in hand, I am ready to go.
I can say I had a lot of fun getting my body into this state.
These days my biggest problem is that I have bursitis in my hips. I have had it in my left hip for about five years. Now I have signs of it in my right hip. What can you do for bursitis? Anti-inflammatories - which I take daily. Ice - which I use regularly. And rest - which I also parttake of. I am happy to sit around and be lazy. I also have had multiple cortisone injections.
And it still hurts. But I (suck it up and) go to the gym and attempt to exercise regularly (because that prevents cancer and all sorts of other good things). It does limit me to three times a week at the gym. I can't work out without a day off in between. If I do, I end up in a lot more pain.
What is bursitis? It is inflammation of the bursar which are little sacs located in major joints - like your hips. It is caused primarily by over use I think. Sort of what I have done to my knees and ankles as well.
So to round out the back pain which is exacerbated if I attempt to stand up for more than ten minutes at a time, my hips then hurt if I sit in the wrong position, or any position some days. I have to sleep with a pillow behind my knees so they don't pull on my back. I take my pain pills, my pain patch, and ice pack in hand, I am ready to go.
I can say I had a lot of fun getting my body into this state.
But I don't look sick
When people see me who don't know my health disasters, they probably don't think I have anything wrong with me. Well that just goes back to the fact that appearances can be deceiving. Have you ever hunted through a parking lot for a single space and then seen a seemingly healthy person park in a handicapped spot in the front row and stroll into the store while you drive in circles? They may have a respiratory problem which prevents them from walking long distances or some other ailment that does not have visual symptoms.
Us cancer people may be harboring some nasty things inside but usually don't look too bad - unless we are sporting our chemo 'hair cut' and pallor. At our first diagnosis, while we are waiting for surgery, treatment, and full staging, we may look as healthy as can be even if we contain multiple tumors.
Now I go to a gym where its full of healthy looking, dilapidated people. I was speaking with one of the owners recently and he said everyone there has significant health problems. But most of them, unless they are on oxygen, a walker, wheelchair, missing a limb, or other obvious ailment, look pretty darn healthy because they work out. Recently I went hiking and was pleasantly surprised at how well I did on a very hot day. It shows my regular work outs are helping me significantly.
But if I compare myself to most of my friends and colleagues, I have more health issues alone than they all do combined. But at least I don't look sick.
Us cancer people may be harboring some nasty things inside but usually don't look too bad - unless we are sporting our chemo 'hair cut' and pallor. At our first diagnosis, while we are waiting for surgery, treatment, and full staging, we may look as healthy as can be even if we contain multiple tumors.
Now I go to a gym where its full of healthy looking, dilapidated people. I was speaking with one of the owners recently and he said everyone there has significant health problems. But most of them, unless they are on oxygen, a walker, wheelchair, missing a limb, or other obvious ailment, look pretty darn healthy because they work out. Recently I went hiking and was pleasantly surprised at how well I did on a very hot day. It shows my regular work outs are helping me significantly.
But if I compare myself to most of my friends and colleagues, I have more health issues alone than they all do combined. But at least I don't look sick.
Blah, blah, exercise more, blah, blah
Right up therer with common medical advice - eat right, stand up straight, floss - is get some exercise. When have they ever told us not to exercise? Exercise is good for all sorts of things - we know this. This is why we had gym class in school and were sent out side to play and went for walks all the time.
There are some downsides to exercise - blisters from badly fitting or the wrong shoes. Or, muscle aches and pains for the days when you might 'over do' things by a tiny bit. Or stretching injuries if you perchance are in the slightly wrong position and end up with a very painful knee (not that I would know this by experience or anything).
But there is another new benefit to exercise - reducing your breast cancer risk. Who would have thought? Duh. Exercise is known to be good for us. But, here's the real story:
"Moderate exercise tied to lower breast cancer risk
...Women who exercise moderately may be less likely than their inactive peers to develop breast cancer after menopause, a study published Monday suggests.
And it did not take a vigorous workout; regular exercise at any intensity level was linked to a lower breast cancer risk, the researchers say.
Still, there are reasons to believe it can, said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
One possible way is indirectly, by reducing body fat, McCullough said in an interview. Excess body fat is related to higher levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, as well as substances known as growth factors, which can feed tumor development.
Researchers found that of more than 3,000 women with and without breast cancer, those who'd exercised during their childbearing years were less likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, add to a number of past studies tying regular exercise to lower breast cancer odds.
But like those past studies, this latest one can only point to a correlation: It does not prove that exercise, itself, is what cut women's breast cancer risk.
But exercise might also have direct effects, McCullough said -- by boosting the immune system or the body's ability to clear cell-damaging "free radicals."
That is all speculation for now.
But, McCullough said, the findings do support the general health recommendation that adults stay active throughout their lives."
So what does this tell us? Speculation is telling the researchers that exercise can lower your breast cancer risk. So before you adopt a mighty exercise plan to reduce your risk of breast cancer, just remember that it is speculation that is driving this.
This also reminds that all these studies that tell us things like eating spinach is good for us - some is based on science and some is based on speculation because there appears to be a correlation. And it always needs more research to prove anything.
There are some downsides to exercise - blisters from badly fitting or the wrong shoes. Or, muscle aches and pains for the days when you might 'over do' things by a tiny bit. Or stretching injuries if you perchance are in the slightly wrong position and end up with a very painful knee (not that I would know this by experience or anything).
But there is another new benefit to exercise - reducing your breast cancer risk. Who would have thought? Duh. Exercise is known to be good for us. But, here's the real story:
"Moderate exercise tied to lower breast cancer risk
...Women who exercise moderately may be less likely than their inactive peers to develop breast cancer after menopause, a study published Monday suggests.
And it did not take a vigorous workout; regular exercise at any intensity level was linked to a lower breast cancer risk, the researchers say.
Still, there are reasons to believe it can, said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
One possible way is indirectly, by reducing body fat, McCullough said in an interview. Excess body fat is related to higher levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, as well as substances known as growth factors, which can feed tumor development.
Researchers found that of more than 3,000 women with and without breast cancer, those who'd exercised during their childbearing years were less likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, add to a number of past studies tying regular exercise to lower breast cancer odds.
But like those past studies, this latest one can only point to a correlation: It does not prove that exercise, itself, is what cut women's breast cancer risk.
But exercise might also have direct effects, McCullough said -- by boosting the immune system or the body's ability to clear cell-damaging "free radicals."
That is all speculation for now.
But, McCullough said, the findings do support the general health recommendation that adults stay active throughout their lives."
So what does this tell us? Speculation is telling the researchers that exercise can lower your breast cancer risk. So before you adopt a mighty exercise plan to reduce your risk of breast cancer, just remember that it is speculation that is driving this.
This also reminds that all these studies that tell us things like eating spinach is good for us - some is based on science and some is based on speculation because there appears to be a correlation. And it always needs more research to prove anything.
Allow me to be a little smug
They didn't need a study to prove it (as if we needed a medical study). I knew this all along. Exercise has now been proven to help breast cancer patients. Go back and read my blog in 2007. You will note I talk about my daily walk. I did go for a daily walk all during treatment - surgery, chemo, radiation. The only time I skipped a day was if I was hospitalized.
Before my diagnosis, I was going for a daily walk anyway. I just saw no reason to stop because of the pesky cancer thing. It was actually a good thing to do. It helped with side effects. It helped with sleeping - physically tiring yourself out lets you sleep better at night. It helped with my mood. All through treatment, no one ever discouraged me from walking. The nurses and doctors were very supportive and encouraged me to continue.
I even belonged to a gym. Before breast cancer, I had hit a certain 'age' that ended in a zero and had decided I should join a gym and do weight bearing exercise as I was now aging. Well, I went to the gym. I looked at the machines and went over to the elliptical or the treadmill. I didn't know how to use the machines. And then my back went bad and all those machines, treadmill, and elliptical managed to make my back hurt.
I have since given up that gym and joined the gym for dilapidated people like me. There are many dilapidated people there - seriously, walkers, oxygen tanks, wheel chairs, prostheses, etc. The gym is run by physical therapists and designed for people with health issues. They work around my problems and I can actually get in a good work out.
One of my issues is lymphedema. In the past, they used to tell women with lymphedema were told - no exercise, not to strain your arm, just do these stupid little exercises to get your lymph system moving and prevent fluid build up in your arm. Then a study came along (of course another study or ten) which said light exercise was beneficial.
[I am training for my body building competition by lifting one pound weights - 2 sets of 15 reps of front and side lifts. Well, its not just my lymphedema problem in my left arm, its my tennis elbow in my right arm that won't go away and whatever weird thing is going on with my shoulder that hamper my chances for a win.]
But I have digressed way too far here, completely off topic in fact. I am a bit smug because I exercised all through breast cancer treatment and now a study proves I was right all along. Now its time for me to hit the gym.
Before my diagnosis, I was going for a daily walk anyway. I just saw no reason to stop because of the pesky cancer thing. It was actually a good thing to do. It helped with side effects. It helped with sleeping - physically tiring yourself out lets you sleep better at night. It helped with my mood. All through treatment, no one ever discouraged me from walking. The nurses and doctors were very supportive and encouraged me to continue.
I even belonged to a gym. Before breast cancer, I had hit a certain 'age' that ended in a zero and had decided I should join a gym and do weight bearing exercise as I was now aging. Well, I went to the gym. I looked at the machines and went over to the elliptical or the treadmill. I didn't know how to use the machines. And then my back went bad and all those machines, treadmill, and elliptical managed to make my back hurt.
I have since given up that gym and joined the gym for dilapidated people like me. There are many dilapidated people there - seriously, walkers, oxygen tanks, wheel chairs, prostheses, etc. The gym is run by physical therapists and designed for people with health issues. They work around my problems and I can actually get in a good work out.
One of my issues is lymphedema. In the past, they used to tell women with lymphedema were told - no exercise, not to strain your arm, just do these stupid little exercises to get your lymph system moving and prevent fluid build up in your arm. Then a study came along (of course another study or ten) which said light exercise was beneficial.
[I am training for my body building competition by lifting one pound weights - 2 sets of 15 reps of front and side lifts. Well, its not just my lymphedema problem in my left arm, its my tennis elbow in my right arm that won't go away and whatever weird thing is going on with my shoulder that hamper my chances for a win.]
But I have digressed way too far here, completely off topic in fact. I am a bit smug because I exercised all through breast cancer treatment and now a study proves I was right all along. Now its time for me to hit the gym.
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