Why physical activity and proper diet is important for cancer patients

Representational pictureCancer is a group of disorders that grows rapidly and can also spread to the other parts of the body In the world billions and billions of dollars are spent for research on cancers According to burden of disease 905 million were affected with cancer and 88 million deaths were reported from 1990 till 2015 as per study published in LANCET journal in 2016 and this is increasing And this is irrespective of age groupsCancerrelated deaths are reported almost 25ndash30 are due to tobacco as many as 30ndash35 are linked to diet about 15ndash20 are due to infections and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation stress physical activity environmental pollutants etcRegulating BMI helps in prevention of many cancers In USA excess body weight is associated with many cancers and causes 1420 of cancer deaths according to American Cancer Society guidelines published in 2006 In UK as well almost 5 million people had higher BMI which caused almost 10 types of different cancers and responsible for almost 12000 cases each year as per research published in Lancet 2014 Physical Inactivity may contribute to cancer not only through higher BMI but also due to negative effects on Immune system and endocrine systemNilesh Makwana Director and consulting physiotherapist Muscle N Mind Physiotherapy Centre says physical activity and proper diet helps in cancer treatment which can reduce the detrimental effects of Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy Number of studies has looked at the effects of physical activity on cancer recurrence and longterm survival Cancer recurrence is cancer that comes back after treatment Exercise has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness muscle strength body composition fatigue anxiety depression selfesteem happiness and several quality of life factors in cancer survivors At least 20 studies of people with breast colorectal prostate and ovarian cancer have suggested that physically active cancer survivors have a lower risk of cancer recurrence and improved survival compared with those who are inactive as per report published by American Cancer SocietyAfter the treatment either by Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy there is significant decrease in muscle mass and reduced endurance Cancer survivor does believe that because they are not able to do any activity they should be resting and follow the routine However physical activity helps in faster recovery post chemo and radio therapy Physical activity helps regulating many hormones which helps in increasing muscle strength and muscle mass it also helps releasing Natural Killer NK However those who treated for Lung and Digestive cancer will have lower BMI and for them maintaining healthy body weight using proper nutrition guidelines and exercises are importantGuidelines to follow As per American Cancer SocietyTalk to your doctor physiotherapist before you start any type of exerciseStart slowly and for few minutes initiallyTry short periods of exercise with frequent breaksInclude physical activity that uses large muscle groups such as your thighs abdomen belly chest and back Strength flexibility and aerobic fitness are all important parts of a good exercise programDont try to pull heavy weights keep is light Do it either with Resistance bands or light weightsUse stretching and some flexibility exercises in your programUse proper warm up and cool down programs use breathing exercises as well during the exercises for proper oxygenationExercise as you are able Donrsquot push yourself take rest if your body needs it Listen to your bodyIf fatigue sets in do relaxation techniques breathing exercises and if you like to read books or listen to music that helps in reducing fatigueThere are many dorsquos and donrsquot that need to be followed by cancer survivor and therefore exercises done under supervision is very essential Checking various parameters like heart rate Saturation of Oxygen and Blood pressure is essential during the exercisesInputs from Dr Nilesh Makwana Director and consulting physiotherapist Muscle N Mind Physiotherapy Centre