Low-Impact Exercise For Building Fitness With A Cancer Diagnosis

 

David Haas

This article was written and dedicated for

All Cancer survivors

Low-Impact Exercise For Building 

Fitness With A Cancer Diagnosis

 



Starting an exercise program after a cancer diagnosis may seem daunting. However, truth is that low-impact exercise is the answer for those that cannot participate in intense routines. Those that are just starting cancer treatment may want to opt for something easier but also effective. Exercise builds a sense of well-being and increases quality of life. Starting a program will also help your body fight against the exhausting effects of chemotherapy.

Water Aerobics

Cancer medications can cause sore muscles, fatigue and a higher risk of fractures and water exercises are usually low impactful but still effective. Find a class and a pool to participate in. There are dozens of options, including water Zumba, water aerobics, treading water or even just swimming laps. You don’t need to feel left out of the fun activitihttp://pennstatehershey.adam.com/graphics/images/en/19389.jpges because of your cancer diagnosis. Even waist-deep water reduces gravity by 50 percent. The deeper the water, the less you feel on your joints and muscles.

Pilates

Pilates focuses on strengthening the muscles, which is something that cancer patients generally need. If you have mesothelioma or even colon cancer, Pilates is an excellent choice because it consists of low impact yet still produces a great workout for your physical body. There are beginner classes that teach the basic moves so don’t feel that your lack of knowledge about the class should discourage you if you are new. Pilates is as effective as it is relaxing. It increases circulation, speeds up metabolism and works on even lengthening posture aside from strengthening muscles.

Yoga   
Relaxing and meditative, yoga is the optimal choice for those going through cancer treatment because it increases flexibility and range of motion. These are two very important factors for staying healthy during cancer treatment. Yoga can be modified and is ideal for any person at any level of fitness because it takes little to no physical activity. It can be a wonderful outlet for someone suffering through a debilitating disease because it can get your mind off your prognosis and allow to perhaps find some ease and peace of mind.

Tips For Low-Impact Exercise

Even though low-impact exercise is safer for those with an illness, there are some things to adhere to when participating in classes. Proper shoes are always a must. Choose shoes based on your activity choice. Water shoes are great for water aerobics, and there are even shoes for Pilates.  Yoga blocks and resistance bands can be used to modify movements. This is true for all activities where you have to move your body in an unfamiliar manner.

How Low-Impact Helps

Easier exercise routines help the body gradually build up to more intense workouts. Muscles gain flexibility and joints become more responsive to difficult work. Low-impact exercise is great for those that are just too tired for anything else. Having cancer is a definite reason to keep moving because when nothing else can be done, the above exercise suggestions allow you to get in the movement necessary. Think of it as a survival tool and exercise can even improve your quality of life and help you to meet new people; low-impact exercise just means that you won’t be hurting yourself in the process. So what are you waiting for? Consult your doctor about a workout regimen that best suits you and your needs and get on the road to a healthier recovery and feeling more like yourself.

Getting a killer body by limiting sugar in your diet

A great and easy tip for getting a killer body is to limit sugar in your diet.

First off, cut out refined sugar like in candy and coffee.

Sugars that are naturally occurring like fructose in fruit and lactose in milk, can still be consumed but in moderation. Meaning, eat fruit and drink milk but don't eat 2-3 pieces of fruit with a glass of milk before bed.

Don't be too confused by good and bad sugars. There are over 200 sugar compounds and some like glucose, are essential to the brain and body functioning. I'm mostly talking about the sugar we all know and (unfortunately) love. The white, sweet stuff and all of its syrupy variations. I would never recommend cutting out sugar entirely. Natural sugars are inevitable.

It's recommended that while 50-60% of your diet is carbohydrate based, only a maximum of 10% of that should be sugar. Not all sugar is bad for the body. Unrefined sugars, consumed in moderation are an important part of a healthy diet. Sugar is used to fuel the body; if not used, it is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Whatever isn't stored, however, is converted to fat. Still, sugar has been shown to boost performance. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and any carbohydrates ingested during exercise can positively affect endurance.

How to Reduce Sugar

Read labels carefully. White bread, most cereal, fruit juice and pop are huge sugar offenders. Reading labels and making smarter buying decisions could really help shrink your waist line and prevent terrible conditions and disease.

Eat more nuts, seeds and lean protein in place of breads, white pasta and rice. They keep you fuller for longer and significantly reduce sugar intake on a daily basis.

Eating sensibly isn't hard at all when you put a bit of thought in to your meals by being on the lookout for high sugar content and reducing the amount of carbs in your diet in place of healthy protein and fats.

Women cellulite health

A top complaint for women when it comes to their bodies is the cottage cheese-looking fatty skin known as cellulite. 

        Fat deposits that are just below the surface of the skin cause cellulite. It often appears after puberty surfacing on skin in the abdomen, lower limbs and pelvic region. According to a study by Neutrogena, 70 percent of women have cellulite. Because women have thinner skin, more women suffer with it than men. Excess weight and a lack of exercise can worsen the problem; however, even thin women can struggle with it.  To fight against cellulite, simple diet changes may help you avoid cellulite as well as improve your overall health.

1. Drink more water

The theory is that toxins are thought to be the major culprits in cellulite production. Therefore drink plenty of water, at least eight glasses per day, to stay hydrated ensures that toxins and waste are continuously flushed out of your system.

2. Cut caffeine

It is hypothesized that caffeine constricts blood vessels, which constrain blood and oxygen circulation to cells. While your drinking more water, eliminate or at least cut down on caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, sodas and energy drinks.

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol is a toxin that hampers your system and also prohibits your body from efficiently processing other toxins.

4. Eliminate processed food and bad fats

Processed food contains preservatives, sweeteners and sodium that contributes to the toxic content that your body is forced to try to eliminate. Also fats from animal products and fried foods are not the good fats for your body. Again, the theory that added toxins contribute to cellulite and you want to avoid unnecessary toxins. Choose fresh vegetables, fruits and replace bad fats with good fats found in nuts, avocados and fish.

As I have mention before Consistent cardio and strength training is the answer to a better body and a long and healthier life.

What's the Best Fat Burning Exercise?

What's the best fat burning exercise? 

  This is a question I get a lot, mostly because the idea of incinerating all that extra body fat is just too good to resist and there's just got to be some exercise that will get the job done, right?

  Fat, in general, is highly flammable, but the fat that resides in our bodies (specifically, the love handles, the spare tire, the saddlebags and the batwings) seems stubbornly flame retardant no matter how hard we try.

The truth is, fat burning is in Consistency!

  Surprisingly, this is the most important part of the fat burning equation. The body, when exposed to regular exercise, becomes a fat burning machine, able to reach into each cell, oxidize the fat inside and hand it to you (or to your muscles) on a silver platter. Without exercise, your body does the opposite. Instead of getting more efficient at burning fat, it actually gets better at hoarding fat, making weight loss even harder. 

So, there you have it: Consistent cardio and strength training is the answer .