The dreaded word--EXERCISE!

When you are going through cancer treatments you many not feel like exercising. This is especially true if you didn't exercise before your diagnosis. But consider this--including some form of exercise in your life on a daily basis is a smart and healthy habit to develop.

Exercise will help with--everything. Here's a list of things that exercise can improve:

• digestion
• mobility
• balance
• healthy bowels
• appetite
• appearance
• social interaction
• energy levels
• mood
• weight
• mental-well being
• strength
• heart and lung functioning
• self-esteem
  

Try to exercise every day. It doesn't matter what you choose to do for exercise. In the words of Nike, "Just do it!" Be sure to check with your medical team, especially if you have just had surgery in order to determine when it is advisable to start exercising and what exercises to do.

And --here's a personal bias--the old saying "No pain no gain" is just plain crazy talk. Pay attention to pain--it's there for a reason. But don't let it stop you from being active. What hurts one day may not the next. Or you may find a way to walk, stretch or lift light weights that provides the same benefits, but doesn't hurt.

Walking, stretching, lifting light weights, using exercise bands can help your body heal faster and function better. You are going to look better too. Never underestimate the power of liking what you see in the mirror.

Enlist your friends and family in this quest for an active life style. Get out in the sunshine and walk. At first you may need to turn around and come home after only a short distance, but even a small walk is very good for you.

Do some stretches while sitting in a chair. Improve your muscle tone by using exercise bands.


Try something that you have never done before, like Tai Chi. Go to classes with a friend. That way if you have to miss a class now and then your friend can show you the new moves. Your friend can also do the driving. Make exercise a social event.

An added benefit to engaging in a new activities is that you will be committing yourself to the future. A very positive things to do. Attitude matters and committing to exercise can help your attitude.

When my mom was going through chemotherapy we counted getting up and getting dressed as exercise. Everyday, no matter how she felt, she put on make up and a nice outfit. Sometimes it exhausted her to the point that we wondered why we encouraged her to do it. But it made her feel better and it made her feel stronger, physically and mentally.

Having a cancer diagnosis changes everything--why not have it change your attitude on exercise?

Continue to exercise throughout your treatment and after and you are helping your health in a multitude of ways. Research suggests that exercising after cancer treatments are completed can lower the risk of recurrence.

Clearly exercise does great things for you.

Have a Plan

Have a plan for all your medical appointments.

Sounds simple and obvious, but it is so easy to forget. When you are stressed by a frightening diagnosis or you are facing anxiety producing tests and procedures you can easily forget to make a plan for how to get the most out of your time with your health care team.

There are several reasons why you should have a plan for every medical appointment.

• It helps you have more control over the content and outcome of the appointment.
• It defines and clarifies your issues and concerns so that your health care team can know which areas of your care are the most importance to you at that point.
• It provides a way for you to keep on top of symptoms and issues.
• It establishes the expectation with your health care team that you want to be involved in all aspects of your care.
  

A plan should include:

• Stating the purpose of the medial appointment--why you are there and what you hope to learn that day.
• Understanding the next steps--will you need to schedule follow-up visits, do you need to have lab work done, are there other tests or procedures that need to be considered.
  
• Documenting the information--how will you receive the information--phone call, report, scan, meeting.
• Identifying who to call on your health care team for specific questions, concerns and emergencies--and obtaining phone numbers and emails --be sure to ask about who to call on weekends and after hours.

Having a plan for each visit with your health care team is especially important if/when problems or complications arise. I have learned from experience that there is almost always something that can be tried. Working from carefully considered plans in the past will mean that you have a routine in place to help you problem-solve new issues.