Exercise with cancer

Prevent Obesity and Cancer with Exercise
Guest post by David Haas  

There is a strong correlation between obesity, cancer and fitness in survival rates of cancer patients. Studies have shown that obese patients who lead sedentary lifestyles were less likely to survive after cancer treatment than those patients who were fit.

Many factors attributed to low survival rates. The most common factors included a compromised immune system, diabetes, heart disease and conditions related to depression and energy levels. In general, the overall quality of life for obese cancer patients was much lower than fit cancer patients.

What Can Obese Patients Do to Increase Survival Rates After Cancer?

Obese patients must incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Five days per week obese cancer patients should attempt to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise.  Some physicians may recommend exercising three days per week vigorously for 20 minutes if this is more accommodating to a patient’s schedule. Exercise will help patients lose weight and improve survival rates after cancer treatments.

In addition to exercise, a healthy diet must be maintained. This will also promote weight loss and improve a cancer prognosis. Since obese patients are more prone to diabetes and heart disease, improper eating habits can cause insulin levels to soar. Imbalanced insulin levels and hormone levels may affect the overall effectiveness of the body’s immune system. Compromised immune systems cannot fight cancer. Healthy diets must be maintained, in addition to exercise, for increased survival rates.

Weight maintenance, exercise and diet are all components of Cancer.gov’s energy balance measurements. People with good energy balance measurements are more likely to survive cancer than those with poor energy balance measurements. Obese patients should strive to have a good energy balance levels to improve life expectancies.

Does Obesity Negatively Affect All Cancer Types?

In general, the answer is yes, but more studies must be conducted to prove this finding conclusively. The effects of obesity on certain cancers are greater than others. Physicians can inform patients of the effects of obesity on their specific condition. Some general findings for specific cancer types are explained in brief:

Breast Cancer

Studies have shown that breast cancer risk was significantly reduced in women who incorporated a regular exercise regimen. After reviewing over 60 studies on major continents all over the world, experts found that exercise could reduce risk of cancer by 20 to 80 percent. This is significant and provides proof that obesity is not good for health.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer risk can be decreased by 30 to 40 percent with exercise. Sedentary lifestyles are more conducive to developing cancer. Thirty to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise per day is recommended to reduce colon cancer.
   
Mesothelioma

No conclusive evidence has been gathered to show the effects of exercise in mesothelioma, but experts believe that exercise can be beneficial and obesity can exacerbate the condition. Exercise should be incorporated in cancer treatment for mesothelioma under the advisement of a physician.

Treat Obesity and Cancer with Exercise

Exercise can be beneficial for both obesity and cancer. Incorporate exercise into the daily regimen to improve a cancer prognosis and recovery. Exercise is an important part of most cancer treatments.

This is a guest post by David Haas. Thank you so much for this wonderful article and your passion for cancer and exercise awareness!

Check out David's blog HERE!