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.
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
I never understood this
Clearly its pinkification but I do not understand the commercials for the breast cancer walks. The one where the woman is saying "Three days of walking to give a breast cancer patient a lifetime". What? I mean there is a significant disconnect here. This commercial just ran and it irritates me to no end every time I hear that woman saying the same thing.
Someone walking for days does nothing for me. How does the walk or anyone's walking give a breast cancer patient a lifetime? Its not the walk that Komen or Avon or who ever is holding it cares about, its the money they raise.
They require the walkers to raise anywhere between $1000 - $3000 or more each and require them to provide a credit card number that they can charge the amount not raised. They pressure these walkers, or runners, or riders or whatever to raise the money. How does that pressure help any cancer patient?
No help to me. My sister and a friend did the breast cancer walk a few years ago. I have friends that do the walks annually and enjoy the participation and the giving back to the community. More power to them. It can be a worthy effort but you can't tell me that walking/running/riding gives a cancer patient anything.
The effort results in funds raised for awareness (as if we need more pink) and research (we hope).
Someone walking for days does nothing for me. How does the walk or anyone's walking give a breast cancer patient a lifetime? Its not the walk that Komen or Avon or who ever is holding it cares about, its the money they raise.
They require the walkers to raise anywhere between $1000 - $3000 or more each and require them to provide a credit card number that they can charge the amount not raised. They pressure these walkers, or runners, or riders or whatever to raise the money. How does that pressure help any cancer patient?
No help to me. My sister and a friend did the breast cancer walk a few years ago. I have friends that do the walks annually and enjoy the participation and the giving back to the community. More power to them. It can be a worthy effort but you can't tell me that walking/running/riding gives a cancer patient anything.
The effort results in funds raised for awareness (as if we need more pink) and research (we hope).
Why I don't walk
I have never and will never go on a pink walk - or one of any other color. I feel no need. I admit I contemplated it once - for a brief while. But it will never be me. Nor do I ever plan on attending an event in a pink boa, tutu, t-shirt, or covered in pink ribbons.
I like pink. I really miss my old pink Red Sox hat that I lost. Its replacement just doesn't feel right and hasn't faded correctly. I own many pink garments - but do not wear ones which spell out breast cancer or that other evil label 'survivor'. Those are good for cleaning. I do own a pinked ice cream scoop and a pinked knife - both of which are of really good quality (Kitchen Aid I believe) and are very useful so I'll keep them.
But I digress. I do not walk. These 'walks' take all the fun out of walking. I enjoy regular walks. I used to walk every day. Now I go to the gym for dilapidated people three days a week and try to walk on the other days.
These 'walks' ask participants to go on training walks with the right equipment and in groups - there is no spontaneity there of walking out the door and enjoying the fresh air and sights around you. You also have to go to meetings, get a walker 'coordinator' to help you choose a training program, a handbook, and have to fund raise - a LOT of money.
I don't need a handbook, meeting or training program to know how to walk. Its very easy. I have been doing it since I was about one year old. It involves right, left, right, left, right, left, etc or you can go left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, etc - you know what I mean. Its not complicated.
There are some short walks of three or five miles or kilometers or whatever they choose. You don't really need much training for those - maybe a new pair of sneakers, some good socks and a water bottle. If you aren't healthy you can do other things to help - fund raise, donate, sign in people, etc. But then you add in the distance of 40 or 60 miles and most people need some training. I think this takes all the fun out of walking - when you are given instructions on how far etc. A walk should be spontaneous and enjoyable.
I hear these lovely quotes in their advertisements 'I didn't think I could ever walk 40 miles but since my mother/sister/friend was strong enough to survive whatever cancer, I can do it.' And you hear about how people were inspired, elated, reborn or whatever by doing the walk. Blah, blah, blah. That doesn't do it for me.
My sister and a friend did the 40 mile walk a few years ago. I went and joined them for a half mile or so. It was a nice thing for them to do but I would never. Now that I have walked a tiny bit of a walk with them, I have decided its not a walk, its a parade. There are people on the side lines, there are cheering sections, there is music, there are bathroom stops, snack stops, and rest stops.You get to sleep in a tent in a field with thousands of other people.
I don't like being on parade with a bunch of other people who are dressed up in weird outfits. I like going to parades and will go to one either tomorrow or Monday or both. But I dislike being on parade. The participants in the real parades are not on parade, they are out to support whatever they want - not for a cause that requires a training program, handbook, and coordinator.
I like pink. I really miss my old pink Red Sox hat that I lost. Its replacement just doesn't feel right and hasn't faded correctly. I own many pink garments - but do not wear ones which spell out breast cancer or that other evil label 'survivor'. Those are good for cleaning. I do own a pinked ice cream scoop and a pinked knife - both of which are of really good quality (Kitchen Aid I believe) and are very useful so I'll keep them.
But I digress. I do not walk. These 'walks' take all the fun out of walking. I enjoy regular walks. I used to walk every day. Now I go to the gym for dilapidated people three days a week and try to walk on the other days.
These 'walks' ask participants to go on training walks with the right equipment and in groups - there is no spontaneity there of walking out the door and enjoying the fresh air and sights around you. You also have to go to meetings, get a walker 'coordinator' to help you choose a training program, a handbook, and have to fund raise - a LOT of money.
I don't need a handbook, meeting or training program to know how to walk. Its very easy. I have been doing it since I was about one year old. It involves right, left, right, left, right, left, etc or you can go left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, etc - you know what I mean. Its not complicated.
There are some short walks of three or five miles or kilometers or whatever they choose. You don't really need much training for those - maybe a new pair of sneakers, some good socks and a water bottle. If you aren't healthy you can do other things to help - fund raise, donate, sign in people, etc. But then you add in the distance of 40 or 60 miles and most people need some training. I think this takes all the fun out of walking - when you are given instructions on how far etc. A walk should be spontaneous and enjoyable.
I hear these lovely quotes in their advertisements 'I didn't think I could ever walk 40 miles but since my mother/sister/friend was strong enough to survive whatever cancer, I can do it.' And you hear about how people were inspired, elated, reborn or whatever by doing the walk. Blah, blah, blah. That doesn't do it for me.
My sister and a friend did the 40 mile walk a few years ago. I went and joined them for a half mile or so. It was a nice thing for them to do but I would never. Now that I have walked a tiny bit of a walk with them, I have decided its not a walk, its a parade. There are people on the side lines, there are cheering sections, there is music, there are bathroom stops, snack stops, and rest stops.You get to sleep in a tent in a field with thousands of other people.
I don't like being on parade with a bunch of other people who are dressed up in weird outfits. I like going to parades and will go to one either tomorrow or Monday or both. But I dislike being on parade. The participants in the real parades are not on parade, they are out to support whatever they want - not for a cause that requires a training program, handbook, and coordinator.
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