Intensive procedures are often required in the treatment of cancer, including treatments combining surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc. Many times these forms of treatment are accompanied by side effects such as nausea, serious infections, organ damage (heart, lung, kidney, liver), loss of bone density and muscular strength, all damaging to physical health.
Years ago the recommendation was to stay in bed and rest as much as necessary. Nowadays being too immobile is considered to make your physical health worse, except in those cases where it cannot be avoided for medical reasons. Treatment side effects can be prevented or reduced to a minimum with the introduction of a physical exercise training programme, during or shortly after cancer treatment.
Thanks to numerous research projects we now understand the physical and psychological benefits of physical exercise on oncology patients. It has been shown that when practised regularly, in appropriate surroundings under professional supervision, that over a period of time the function of the immune system improves. The side effects of harsh treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are minimised and there is a notable effect on the patient’s state of mind.
Movement increases the body’s energy requirements, fundamentally at a muscular level, but also in the cardiovascular system, nervous system, respiratory and metabolic systems. To respond to these increased energy requirements, most of the body’s systems are brought into use: the cardiovascular system to pump and transport more blood; the respiratory system to take in more oxygen which is then transported by the blood to the muscles; the metabolic system to provide nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins…) needed for our muscles; as well as the nervous and endocrine systems which are responsible for coordinating all these processes.
Stimulation through exercise of all the body’s organs and systems produces changes in the medium term which improve function and capacity. During exercise energy is burned and function of the majority of systems is modified. When recovering afterwards equilibrium is restored and function can even be improved in accordance with how often training is repeated. We all know that in biology there is one basic principle: “every organ and system which is not stimulated or used starts to atrophy,” and with this in mind, physical exercise clearly has a positive effect.
The regular practice of physical exercise (between 3 and 5 times a week) generally promotes beneficial effects on our health and our defences against cancer, including
| It continues and improves | It reduces |
| Strength and muscle mass | Cancer symptoms/side effects |
| Cardiovascular function | Severity of symptoms |
| Immune capacity | Tiredness and poor treatment tolerance |
| Ability to move about | Psychological and emotional stress |
| Physical capacity | Length of hospital admission |
| Self-esteem/Self-image | Depression and anxiety |
There is still a more generally held belief that to obtain benefit from physical exercise it is necessary to perform it at a painfully high intensity. Nothing could be further from the truth. All research has shown that the main beneficial effects of exercise are obtained when it is performed at an enjoyable, moderate intensity, and even more importantly when practised regularly.
The most recommended preventative exercises following oncology treatment are those involving the large muscle groups (dynamic exercises), these activities do not have to be restricted to just walking or using a static bicycle. To achieve the best results we suggest following these recommendations:
Treatment of oncology patients at HC Marbella is provided by a multidisciplinary team whose objective is to improve our patients’ quality of life, reduce the effects of the cancer and to help patients return to their physical state of health prior to being unwell. With this in mind we encourage improvement in physical health through monitored programmes. These programmes are tailored to the patient’s condition by qualified professionals, highly experienced in this field.
Fisioterapeuta de HC Marbella International Hospital
February 18, 2016
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