How Cancer Patients Can Enlist Exercise in Their Fight for Well-Being: Insights from 2 RCCA Oncologists


In addition, being treated for cancer should engage in muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week (examples include using hand weights or exercise bands and body weight activities such as push-ups or squats).

“The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has issued similar recommendations and also stresses the importance of stretching major muscle groups, core exercises and balance training, engaging in general physical activity daily, and avoiding prolonged sedentary behavior,” Dr. Balar notes.

The oncologist adds that the American College of Sports Medicine has issued physical activity guidelines that focus on specific goals for people with cancer, such as dealing with fatigue, maintaining health-related quality of life, and addressing anxiety and depression. (See accompanying box, “Resources on Exercise for Cancer Survivors.”) “Additionally, earlier this year the ACSM issued new exercise guidelines specifically designed for older cancer survivors. These guidelines meet a pressing need, because advances in cancer treatment mean that many people are living for 10 years, 20 years, or longer following treatment and need evidence-based guidance on how to maintain their health.”

4 Tips for Making Movement Matter

Beyond following the recommendations of respected organizations, the two RCCA oncologists say it’s important to keep a few common-sense rules in mind.

1. Check with your oncologist before starting a new exercise regimen. “The guidelines provide valuable general direction, but their recommendations must be tailored to each person’s specific situation. The nature and intensity of an exercise regimen for someone who is three years past active treatment is going to differ from that of someone undergoing chemotherapy. It’s not that you can’t exercise while receiving treatment – in fact, we encourage it to the extent that is it safe and within a person’s abilities – but it requires a thoughtful, realistic approach,” says Dr. Balar.
2. See what your insurance plan offers. Many insurance plans provide for cancer patients to have one-time consultations or a fixed number of sessions with a physical therapist or exercise physiologist, Dr. Abdo-Matkiwsky notes. She adds that it is important to work with clinicians who have experience developing exercise plans for people with cancer and to provide those healthcare professionals with detailed information about your diagnosis, treatment, overall health, and any mobility problems you are experiencing. “Asking your oncologist to recommend a couple of nearby therapists or exercise physiologists that the doctor knows and trusts is a good idea,” she says.
   
3. Select physical activities that you enjoy – and that fit your life. “The more you like doing something, the more likely you are to keep doing it. That’s just human nature,” Dr. Balar says. He adds, “Similarly, the better that something fits into your daily or weekly schedule, the more likely it is to maintain a place in that schedule rather than getting nudged out by other demands.”
4. Remember that slow and steady wins the race – and that you deserve a little grace. “Moderation is the rule when starting a physical activity regimen,” Dr. Abdo-Matkiwsky notes. She adds that this means beginning at a modest level and gradually increasing the intensity and frequency of exercise as you go, listening to your body along the way. The oncologist emphasizes that not advancing as quickly as you would like, or missing a few days, isn’t cause for discouragement or throwing in the towel. “It’s important to maintain perspective. You aren’t trying out for an NFL team or the Navy Seals. You are taking steps to improve your health and quality of life, and you’re doing so while being treated for cancer or after having completed treatment. You deserve credit for what you’re doing. Believe me when I say that your doctors and nurses give you all the credit in the world for that effort, and you should give yourself some credit, and some compassion, too. If you had a bad day or week, so be it. Start again tomorrow.” 

Find Expert Cancer Care Near You in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., Area

Dr. Abdo-Matkiwsky and Dr. Balar are among 90+ medical oncologists and hematologists who practice with Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation’s largest networks of oncology specialists. RCCA has more than 20 locations near you across New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D,C., area. RCCA’s cancer specialists see more than 30,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 265,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients’ other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300 clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions—including multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis—who take intravenously-administered medications.

To learn more, call 844-346-7222 or contact RCCA.