I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the Taiwanese research study, surfacing last month, that showed that at least fifteen minutes of moderate exercise could add up to three years to your life, but did you know the actual extent of the benefits of exercise in cancer patients?
I came across this very interesting blog article on the New York Times website telling of a British report encouraging more able-bodied cancer patients to increase their level of activity. Contrary to popular belief, cancer survivors should not live a more sedentary lifestyle as light exercise could and should be incorporated into their regimen. It was found that "two and a half hours of exercise a week could lower a breast cancer patient’s risk of dying or cancer recurrence by 40 percent, and could reduce a prostate cancer patient’s risk of dying from the disease by about 30 percent."
A panel at the American College of Sports Medicine, which developed a set of guidelines for this type of physical activity, though, has stated that there is nothing wrong with the most ill cancer patients waiting a few days to attempt any sort of exercise and that it should be consulted with a physician in order to weigh the risks and benefits.
As an advocate for exercise, I think that the benefits of at least a little bit of exercise in everyone's lives are clear.
For more info on exercise for cancer patients, see here:
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Physicalactivity/Physicalactivityandcancer/Physicalactivityinformation.aspx
I agree, I think exercising is good for eveyone but is difficult to add to regular daily activity. I wonder if there are exercise programs specifically for cancer patients or recommended exercises. It would also be nice, if public insurance companies offered discounted gym memberships.
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