Exercise if Vital For Your Health & Wellbeing

An active lifestyle lowers your risk of breast cancer

The best way to tell our body that we respect and love it is by our daily conscious actions.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that if they have cancer they should rest and preserve their energy. However, being physically active proves to be extraordinarily beneficial for people who are diagnosed, recovering, or want to prevent cancer. When you exercise you are sending messages to the body to get strong and healthy.  It also increases circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to our cells, as well as it gets rid of metabolic waste, this all helps to speed up the healing process in the body.

Studies have shown that active women have a lower risk of breast cancer than inactive women. Breast cancer survivors who were the most physically active had a 40% lower risk of relapse rates than those who were the least active. Most people who incorporate physical activity into their daily routine also make the connection that a healthy diet and lifestyle speed up their recovery.

Exercise has many biological effects on the body

 

• It can modify our hormonal balance. It reduces the excess estrogen that stimulates the grown of breast cancer. It’s important to understand that after menopause fat cells can produce estrogen, which can be a growth factor for some breast cancers.
• It has the ability to reduce insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to take up sugar in the bloodstream for energy. High levels of insulin have been liked to inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. If your insulin levels are constantly elevated it is also linked to weight issues.
• It helps to prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for many cancers. Adipose tissue (fat cells) stores many carcinogenic toxins.
• Inflammation is part of the body’s innate response to invading pathogens or potentially harmful irritants. Over time chronic inflammation may harm your tissues and organs. When you start exercising your muscle cells release small proteins that play a role in reducing inflammation.
• Exercise boosts the immune function by circulating immune cells throughout the body, increasing their capacity to fight off bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells
• It triggers the release of endorphins which has a mood-enhancing effect on the brain.
• Exercise increases oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells, in an oxygen-rich environment cancer cells cannot thrive.
• Regular exercise boosts glutathione production, this is a powerful anti-oxidant.  It is very important in detoxification pathways and immune system activity.
• Exercise stimulates the lymphatic system, which increases the movement of immune cells and lymph fluid. This brings cancer-fighting nutrients into the cells and carrying cancer-causing toxins out.
• Many people may lose weight and muscle when going through cancer treatment. Weight-bearing exercise improves bone density and makes muscles stronger again.

If you feel your energy and fitness level have deteriorated due to your treatment, there are many creative ways to get the body moving without being overwhelmed.

On my healing journey, at different stages I included :

 

• Body massage
• Dry brushing
• Rebounding (trampoline)
• Vibe plate
• Yoga
• Qi gong
• Weights and strength training
• Daily walk or jog
• Join a gym
• Cycling
• Swimming

Find an exercise routine that you enjoy

 

I love to use my rebounder (jumping up and down on a small one-person trampoline). Rebounding is one of the best ways to move the lymphatic system. Your body relies on your lymphatic system to remove waste, like bacteria, viruses, toxins, and abnormal cells that can lead to cancer. And every step you take helps it to do its job. That’s because the lymphatic system does not have an organ like the heart to pump fluid around your body. It is a crucial part of your immune system and it has a central role to play in cancer prevention. If you’re recovering from cancer or you want to prevent it, it is vital to create daily exercise habits.

We need 30-60 minutes of intentional exercise a day, we can break it up into different times of the day. Your routine could be  10-15 minutes in the morning rebounding, 20-40 minutes in the afternoon/evening of a walk. Start at your own pace and build your fitness over time.  Invest in a personal trainer if you haven’t used a gym before or you just need help with motivation.

Many people like to join walking groups or clubs for motivation and for the benefit of social interaction.  The most important thing is to find some exercise routine that you enjoy, it will be easier to keep it up.