From the first moment my wife discovered
she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even
ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have
received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than
mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started
this blog…That was four years ago – as time passed, people searching for
answers stumbled across my blog and checked out what I had to say. The
following entry appeared on 11/2/2014. (http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/exercise-program-successful-in-life)
Exercise and
breast cancer – at first thought, you might say, “What!!!!!” The implication of
a breast cancer diagnosis or treatment, brings to mind hospital beds,
recuperation, and convalescence.
Not hitting the
weight room!
But this study,
while it’s neither large nor longitudinal for more than a year, seems to
indicate that gentle weight training has a good chance of either preventing the
occurrence of lymphedema or reducing it.
We’re NOT talking
pumping iron, here folks! In the words of the study: “As in PAL [Physical
Activity and Lymphedema Trial], the researchers found that the Strength After
Breast Cancer program didn’t increase the risk of lymphedema and helped ease lymphedema symptoms. The women
were also stronger at the end of the program and felt better about their
bodies.”
Does this mean you
have to join a gym and get into those leotards and exercise?
Not necessarily.
Simply returning to moderate exercise after breast cancer treatment and surgery
is GOOD: “...one study found that women who followed a slow, progressive
strength-training program lowered their risk of developing lymphedema by 35
percent; women who had at least five lymph nodes removed and started lifting
weights reduced their risk by 70 percent.”
As well, the
article goes on to talk about other aspects of exercise after breast cancer and
as always, do so with your doctor’s knowledge and under her supervision. Even
so, “Increased physical activity after cancer treatment has been consistently
linked to better physical function, reduced fatigue, and bodily pain...Compared
to sedentary women, regular exercisers, who have been diagnosed with breast
cancer, have a much lower risk of breast cancer recurrence, breast cancer
death, and all causes of death.”
And NOT just the
wives/girlfriends/moms/sisters, gentlemen! We need to exercise as well to
maintain our health and support our women!
Capisce? (From Neapolitan capisci, the second-person
present-tense form of capire (“to understand”), from Latin capere (“to grasp,
seize”).)
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