The Benefits Of Getting Moving
If you’re going through cancer treatment or are recovering from it, being active has a range of benefits. Physical activity can help prevent and manage some of the consequences of treatment including fatigue, depression and risks to heart health. As well as improving physical condition, physical activity can help to enhance quality of life and play a huge part in enabling you to take back control. Many people say that it helps them to feel more like their old self, or helps them to move forward with a “new normal”.
Jo Foster, physical activity programme lead at Macmillan Cancer Support, says, “It is a common misconception that when you have cancer, you need rest. We now know that if physical activity was a drug, it would be a wonder drug. Moving more, both during and after cancer treatment, can help with the side effects of treatment like fatigue and bone thinning. It can also help with other long term conditions like heart disease. Most importantly people tell us that it’s something that they can do for themselves in a time when all control feels taken away from them.
“We want everyone, including those who have had cancer or are living with the effects of it to understand the benefits of physical activity, and get the support they need to be active at a level that is right for them.”
Exercise needn’t mean sweating it out for hours at the gym or running for miles – it’s simply about moving more.
This could include every day activities like walking, housework and gardening, as well as more structured exercise like going for a jog or fitness classes. There are lots of ways you can begin to move more, and even the smallest increase can improve your quality of life. Macmillan have produced the MoveMore guide, which aims to support people living with cancer to become active at a level right for them. For more about moving more before, during and after cancer treatment or to order a Move More guide please visit WWW.MACMILLAN.ORG.UK/MOVEMORE
“We want everyone to have the support they need to be active”