Walking for Wellness (Part 1)
We all know exercise is important, but when you have cancer, who really wants to? We already have enough on our minds and now we have to find time to exercise!?! Well, the truth is, exercise does the body, mind, and spirit good. It’s one of the reasons my daughter Crystal tried to walk before, during, and after her diagnosis and treatments. She actually got out to walk whenever she could.
Walking helps
When you have cancer so many things can be difficult. Eating, sleeping, visiting with family, and exercise, especially if you’re in treatment, can become tough. Those normal day-to-day things turn into a new and different experience - and not always good. Everything about your body changes. However, trying to eat well, get a good night's sleep, visiting with family when you’re up to it, and doing some type of exercise is extremely important for you. Most of those things require little energy, but exercise is a different story.
When you hear the word exercise, you can already start to feel tired. However, doing exercise is the best thing you can do for so many reasons. Movement means life, so we have to figure out ways to get up and move. Walking is the simplest, actually, it is the Cadillac of exercise. It’s the most natural and easiest way to fit physical activity into your day and it’s gentle on your body. You don’t even have to make it difficult or give up too much of your time doing it. Even a 10-minute stroll helps and it's extremely important to fit this into your day. And, all you need is a pair of sneakers and a safe path!
Keeping up your physical and cardiovascular strength
Cancer and the treatments that go along with that diagnosis cause so much havoc to our bodies. Strength, both physical and cardiovascular can be weakened because of the effects of chemo or the other drugs that are prescribed.
After treatment, Crystal was knocked out for a week. It was scary to see how bad she felt, but as the week went by, she started to recover a little at a time. Her treatments were every 2 weeks and luckily the second week was always better. She was still weak, but tried to get out and do something. She knew it was important to not sit around too much, and she wanted to keep the little strength she had - so she took walks.
Find something that works for you
Each person has different limitations, so of course, speaking to the doctor first is important, but Crystal’s doctor encouraged her to do whatever she could. What she was able to do was walk, so she got out her sneakers, found a path, and walked. They weren’t long walks, but she did what she could. When she came home, she always felt better, was in a better mood, and usually got a good night’s rest. It definitely did her body good!
There are many other reasons to exercise, especially walking, so check back for part two. For now, I hope you all try to get out and take in some fresh air.
Wishing you health & happiness!!
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