Exercise Has a Number of Benefits for Cancer Patients

Posted on April 4, 2012 by stephaniechodges

ImageI hope you enjoy the following Guest Post from David Haas. He blogs at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/

Even the smallest amount of exercise is beneficial to a person’s health; mind and body. Even those who think they haven’t the time to fit exercise into their day are probably getting more exercise than they think. In fact, many different everyday things are considered exercise that many people do not even realize. Walking, swimming, playing sports, dancing, playing with children, working at a laborious job; all of these are included in the category of exercise and all of it is immensely beneficial to a person’s mind, body and health.

Even those who are already sick and have health problems such as mesothelioma cancer are going to benefit from some form of daily exercise. In the past, doctors informed their cancer patients that they needed to rest and reserve their energy for their treatments. Cancer treatments are not known to be refreshing and enjoyable. In fact, cancer treatments are very rough on a person’s body, causing them to feel overly tired, nauseous, depressed and it even causes them to vomit on a regular basis. The only positive aspect of cancer treatments is their ability to fight cancer and return a person to health. Doctors have realized, over the past few years, that exercise is beneficial to cancer patients because it helps to alleviate and minimize the side effects of cancer treatments. Those who suffer from vomiting and nausea will feel less of it throughout the day and when they are undergoing their treatments. Those who feel fatigued will feel less tired and more energized.

Those who have feelings of depression, helplessness and anger will feel better. Exercise releases endorphins into a person’s body that promote health and well-being. After exercising, people tend to feel happier and more accomplished. They are in a better mood, smile more and have more reason to celebrate life than those who do not exercise. Exercise also banishes bad hormones from a person’s body; making their entire quality of life significantly better than before they exercised. Any doctor will tell a patient that one of the most important aspects of fighting cancer is quality of life; without something to look forward to, without a good mood and without a positive approach to their treatment, people are risking their body rejecting the treatment. Those who have a good quality of life will accept their cancer treatments and their body will help the treatment to fight the cancer, making health a more attainable goal.

Many people cringe at the thought of exercise, saying they haven’t the time or that they hate going to the gym. This is no longer an excuse when people can exercise right in their own homes doing things they enjoy. Taking the kids for a walk in the park, playing catch with the dog, dancing with friends or loved ones and playing an impromptu game of football are all considered excellent methods of exercise. It only takes 150 minutes of exercise per week to turn a person’s life around and make them healthier.

Find out more about David at The Mesothelioma Cancer Blog

Follow him on Twitter: @HaasBlaag

Joining the organization in 2011, David Haas is a cancer support group and awareness program advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. In addition to researching the many valuable programs available to our site’s visitors, David often blogs about programs and campaigns underway at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, as well as creative fitness ideas for those dealing with cancer, while creating relationships with similar organizations.

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How I Lost the Baby Weight – 45 Pounds in 6 Months

Posted on March 28, 2012 by stephaniechodges

When I got pregnant, I was content to let my body do what it wanted and assumed it would take nine months to a year to lose the baby weight. Well, my pregnant body decided it wanted chips and French fries, and needed to gain 45 pounds.

Little did I know the extra weight would be gone in just six months. I didn’t set out to lose weight this rapidly or take any extreme measures, but consistent healthy habits helped me along the way.

I don’t promise that these tips will cause you to lose 45 pounds in six months – and this is certainly targeted to new moms, not the average person. (Giving birth to an almost ten-pound baby and shedding weight associated specifically with pregnancy was responsible for at least half of the weight loss.)

I also had some assistance from breastfeeding and my extra active baby who keeps me running all day, but I’d like to share some of the other factors that helped me lose weight. I had to work at losing those last 20 pounds, exercising when I didn’t feel like it and not eating everything I may have liked, and making conscious decisions to be healthy.

A Walk a Day

I took walks every day because my son loved them and they helped to calm him down if he was fussy. This daily low-impact activity was a great benefit to me. We didn’t walk far or fast, usually 15-30 minutes. Since we went out mainly for his benefit, I considered the walks an addition to my other exercise routine.

Key: Consistency! We walked almost every day. I have a short attention span and love to constantly try new exercise routines. The baby and his routine kept me accountable and more consistent than I ever could have been on my own. If you don’t have a baby, train your dog to need a daily 15-minute walk.

High Intensity

Post-pregnancy, I decided on a DVD-based program that contained cardio, strength, and core workouts. I was huffing, puffing, and sweating my way through the first few weeks. These workouts were definitely challenging! I couldn’t perform the jumps/plyometric exercises or all the repetitions without taking breaks, but I slowly built up strength and stamina. Another obstacle was that my son would inevitably wake up from his nap when I was only 20 minutes into the workout. I was frustrated at the time but I can see in hindsight that 20 minutes of high intensity exercise + a walk a day is plenty of exercise for a new mommy!

Key: Your workouts don’t have to be long, but make them effective and challenging. Stay completely focused on what you’re doing and perform moves with intensity. Build up slowly to avoid injury and always listen to your body. Stop if something doesn’t feel right!

Strength Training

I have too often encountered women who are afraid of strength training. I can guarantee it will not make you big and bulky, but lean and toned. The majority of my workouts had a strength-training component and lots of core work. In my opinion, strength training transforms your body more effectively than cardio ever could. Strength training helps you your clothes fit better, gives you more tone, and has tremendous mental benefits.

Key: Don’t be afraid of the weights. Follow your doctor’s recommendations about not lifting for six weeks post-partum (or whatever they have recommended to you specifically). But once you have the green light, try body weight exercises and light weights to slowly regain your strength. It’s also going to help you haul that baby around as he/she gets bigger.

You Are What You Eat

After the baby was born, I had a time where I was able to do very little because I was recuperating and the baby was nursing at least every two hours, or 15 minutes…no, it just felt like every 15 minutes.

Anyway, I would spend my afternoons watching Lost re-runs and eating Twizzlers, and it was glorious.

After losing an initial 20-25 pounds after the birth, my weight loss stalled and I had to face the facts: I could not eat Twizzlers every day and continue to lose weight. (Duh. Yes, I do have a Master’s degree in Nutrition.)

Breastfeeding does require some additional calories, but it’s not an excuse to eat whatever you want. Don’t make that mistake. I knew I had to clean up my diet in order to be healthy for my baby, and to avoid buying a whole new wardrobe to fill the gap between my maternity and pre-pregnancy clothes.

Key: Don’t focus on cutting calories if you’re breastfeeding, focus on the quality of the foods you’re eating.  Limit the candy, chips, junk, and packaged/processed foods. You know the diet you need: fresh vegetables & fruits, whole grains, lean protein.

Stay in Shape Before and During Pregnancy

I’m sure the main reason I was able to get back in shape so quickly was due to my workout routine before and during pregnancy. I cut back on intensity after I got pregnant, and wasn’t able to continue running past the 3rd month, but continued to exercise 4-5 days a week and take walks. I taught Zumba until I was seven months pregnant and continued walking, swimming in the pool, and doing prenatal yoga up until the delivery.

Key: Get in the best shape possible before you get pregnant – eat healthy and exercise. Hire a personal trainer or join a program that will help you. If you’re already pregnant, don’t increase you’re the intensity of your workouts and be safe. Just make sure you keep moving every day with low-impact activity like walking and swimming, or prenatal exercise programs tailored specifically for you.Need help choosing a workout you can do at home? I used the following workouts during and after my pregnancy:

And of course I drank the Shakeology.

What keys helped you lose weight after your baby was born?

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Four Salad Recipes for Lunch or Dinner

Posted on November 9, 2011 by stephaniechodges

saladI love to order salads when I’m eating out at a restaurant. They always seem to taste better than the side salads I make at home. I’ve realized salads are much more appealing when you mix up the ingredients.

The suggestions below are great options for lunch or dinner, and all include a little protein. Salads are quick and easy to fix, and easy to adapt to your personal taste.

Like I mentioned in this post about salads making you fat (or not being as healthy as you’d assume), salads are not automatically low-fat or low-calorie. Make sure you choose healthy ingredients and limit the fatty options a like bacon, cheese, croutons, dressing, etc.

Here are four ideas for entrée salads. Adjust ingredients and portion sizes based on your family’s needs.

Chicken Apple Salad

  • Mixed greens
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
  • Chopped green apple
  • Goat cheese
  • Walnuts
  • Light vinaigrette dressing
Taco Salad
  • Shredded romaine lettuce
  • Cooked lean ground beef or turkey
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped red onion
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Light sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Tortilla strips or blue corn strips
Asian Chicken Salad
  • Chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • Shredded green cabbage
  • Shredded purple cabbage
  • Shredded carrots
  • Snap peas or pea pods
  • Chopped green onions
  • Water chestnuts
  • Sliced almonds
  • Dried cherries or cranberries
  • Asian ginger-sesame dressing
Greek Quinoa Salad
  • Quinoa, cooked according to package directions
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped cucumbers
  • Chopped red onion
  • Feta cheese
  • Olive oil + Balsamic vinegar
What other entrée salads do you enjoy at home?

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4 Heart Rate Zone Workouts

Posted on September 28, 2011 by stephaniechodges

Now that you’ve figured out how to calculate your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR), Resting Heart Rate (RHR), and heart rate zones, you can use these numbers to tailor your workouts. If you’ll be tracking heart rate regularly, I recommend you invest in a high quality monitor. It will make the process and easier and more accurate.

What are the benefits of using heart rate when you exercise?

  • Knowledge is power: Get more information about how your body is functioning.
  • Stay healthy: Avoid injury, overtraining, and burnout. It’s not better to push yourself “all out” every time you exercise.
  • Train smarter: Train effectively to reach your goals, whether it’s improved performance, weight loss, or other.

What are the drawbacks of using heart rate when you exercise?

  • Accuracy: the calculations referenced are only estimations. Your actual Max Heart Rate could be higher or lower, which would affect the heart rate “zone”.
  • Other influences: Other factors can effect your heart rate, including weather, caffeine, and fatigue. Use heart rate in conjunction with a Rating of Perceived Exertion or other subjective scale.
  • Slave to the numbers: If it’s a beautiful day, maybe it’s time to take a break from number tracking. If you always have your eyes down on your watch you’ll miss the beautiful scenery and enjoying your exercise.

4 Heart Rate Training Zones

  1. Recovery or Daily Activity: 50-65% MHR
    Light intensity
    If you’re a runner, this could be considered your LSD (long slow distance) training zone. You can easily speak several sentences before taking a breath. This zone is beneficial for improving your health, for beginners, and for recovery sessions.
  2. Exercise for Health: 65-75% MHR
    Moderate Intensity
    Working out in this zone will result in even greater benefits for your cardiorespiratory system. This zone is beneficial for improving your health, endurance & stamina, and will expend (burn) more calories.
  3. Fitness Training: 75-85% MHR
    Moderate-High Intensity
    This zone is just below your lactate threshold. It will help to improve your endurance, fitness, and train your body to work out at a faster pace.
  4. Performance or Competitive Training: 85-100% MHR
    Very High Intensity
    You are going to cross over into anaerobic training when working out at this high intensity. You’ll feel “the burn” for sure. Working out at this intensity will increase your body’s tolerance to lactic acid (which causes you to feel that burning/fatigue in the muscles) and improve sprinting or fast-paced, all-out physical effort.

Zone 4 would typically be used in a race/event or with interval training, because the intensity would be too high to maintain for a long duration workout. In interval training, you might alternate bouts of Zone 4 or 3 and Zone 1 in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio.

Key Takeaway for Heart Rate Training

Vary your workouts over the course of a week. If you only work out in Zone 4, it’s only a matter of time before you get hurt or burnout. Follow days of higher intensity training with appropriate rest and recovery. If you only work out in Zone 1, you’re probably not getting optimal health and weight loss benefits. Zone 4 isn’t necessarily for everyone, but you do need to push your heart rate up to keep progressing – challenge yourself!

Do you regularly use a heart rate monitor?

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