In the past, doctors often told cancer patients to take it easy during treatment. Although the appropriate amount of exercise varies from patient to patient, that conventional wisdom is now considered old hat. In fact, new guidelines on cancer and exercise from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) urge cancer patients to be as physically active as possible both during and after their treatment."The idea that you should be staying put and resting is ultimately doing more harm than good," says Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. Schmitz, who studies the role of physical activity in chronic diseases, presented the guidelines at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting last week.
The last thing people overwhelmed by cancer's psychological and physical impact may want to hear is "exercise more." During treatment, bone-crushing fatigue, nausea, and body-changing surgery -- not to mention the emotional drain of coping with worried children, friends, and life partners -- often puts exercise very last on the list of priorities.
Still, experts now say that exercise may help with -- not add to -- those problems. It boosts energy, helps stave off the weight gain often associated with treatment, and provides a psychological pick-me-up at a time when a person's morale is likely to be battered.
How much exercise is enough? The ACSM recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, which works out to about 20 minutes a day -- the same amount recommended to the general public.
That said, the organization is realistic about how cancer and its treatment can alter mood and energy levels. Any kind of activity -- even a short walk -- is better than none, the ACSM says.
(Read the full story by Kate Stinchfield of Health.com as posted on CNN.com)
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