I see three clients who are breast cancer survivors and have gotten to know only a fraction of their suffering by spending time with each individually for quite some time.
Many of us wonder how we would deal with such a major health blow, a life threatening illness. These women beat the big C and started doing pull ups shortly after finishing treatment.
What I've noticed is how each woman savors smaller things in life. Their hearts have been softened by their suffering. Some people might feel cheated by life for having gone through what they did. It's not that they are glad it happened but they all have let the experience massage their souls.
Just the other day, Mary, 55, was battling the heavy ropes with a ferocity a woman half her age might shy away from. Peggy, 68, is game for anything I give her and works out four days a week. She continued to go to regular classes during treatment as well. Leanne, 62, has the discipline to come and work out alone religiously for the last 18 months. She now has a perky apple bum.
It is truly a gift to spend time with each of them.
So when I saw that new exercise guidelines were released by the American College of Sports Medicine today I am jumping for joy.
Here's a little blurb about it taken from Los Angeles Times:
Although the same 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity suggested for the general population is also recommended for people with cancer, the prescription is not one-size-fits-all. The panel noted that although most forms of moderate exercise, such as strength training, yoga and swimming, are good for cancer patients, exercise regimens should be tailored to accommodate fitness levels, diagnoses and safety requirements. Someone with a compromised immune system, for example, may be better off not exercising in a public gym.
Said Schmitz, "We now have a compelling body of high-quality evidence that exercise during and after treatment is safe and beneficial for these patients, even those undergoing complex procedures such as stem cell transplants. If physicians want to avoid doing harm, they need to incorporate these guidelines into their clinical practice in a systematic way."
Maybe, just maybe, oncologists and anyone involved in treating cancer patients will include exercise in part of a patient's treatment plan. I can't believe they ever really debated this. Hello...feeling good is so important for health on any level. And if there's even a tiny opportunity for a cancer patient to taste vitality during treatment AND after, well don't you think it just makes sense in predicting the success of treatment?
Hallelujah!
Jane Clapp
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