The Effect of Exercise on Cancer

Guest Post

By: David Hass - http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/david/

In an effort to conserve strength and energy, many people incorrectly assume cancer patients shouldn’t exercise; however, nothing could be further from the truth. Studies by cancer researcher organizations, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA have demonstrated regular exercise can reduce the risk, proliferation and reoccurrence of cancer.

The benefits of exercise and fitness for cancer patients are numerous. Exercise bolsters the immune system, making the body more resistant to disease, and studies have demonstrated people with higher fitness levels have an increased immunological response. Patients with higher fitness levels are better able to deal with both the physiological and psychological stress of cancer treatment, and can help in actually fighting the disease itself.

One of the most critical times for cancer patients is immediately after being diagnosed, and during this time exercise can greatly reduce the feelings of despair. As reported by Matthew Wiggins, Ed.D., of Murray State University, cancer patients develop both physiological and psychological side-effects as a result of cancer treatment. Side effects include, but at not limited to, significant increases in physical fatigue with decreased feelings of overall well-being, including psychological distress and increased anxiety.

During exercise the body releases endorphins, a natural opiate, which generate an overall feeling of well-being. Exercise increases energy levels, providing patients not only the strength to get through their treatments, but the energy to execute regular daily activities, improving the patient’s overall quality of life and ability to carry on with their normal lives.

A common reason cancer patients fail to exercise is due to a lack of having enough energy to begin an exercise routine. Cancer treatment can be draining, sapping energy so the patient doesn’t even feel like moving, and this can be especially true for cancers, which require very aggressive courses of treatments, such as mesothelioma. However, patients can reap the benefits of increased fitness levels without having to exercise for prolonged periods.

The effect of exercise on fitness levels is cumulative. Short periods of exercise throughout the day have the same effect as extended workouts of the same intensity. For example, a short 10 minute walk three times a day will increase a patient’s fitness level to the same degree as a single 30 minute daily walk.

It is important to realize there is no evidence that exercise in itself will cure cancer, but regular exercise will help the cancer patient deal with the physical and psychological rigors of both the disease and treatment. As part of a complete and integrated treatment program, regular exercise is a tool that no cancer patient should overlook.

Wash the dishes, walk the stairs, then lose 12 pounds of fat. It's NEAT.

Want to lose 12 pounds of fat this year with minimal changes to your lifestyle? Yes? Then read on...

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, otherwise known as NEAT, is a fairly old concept that is making its way into a lot of fitness professional's vocabulary. The funny thing is that NEAT doesn't have anything to do with exercise at all. It's basically the concept of burning more calories without exercising at all, but by doing little things throughout the course of the day that add up to expended calories. Let me explain...

I've written about basal metabolic rate (BMR), which accounts for approximately 60% of total energy spent in a day. Then there's the thermic effect of food, which accounts for approximately 10-15% of your caloric output per day. This includes eating, digesting, and processing food. The thermic effect of food is a fascinating subject, one that I will probably blog about later. But if there is one gold nugget of info I'd like to give you right now, it's this: protein, specifically lean protein (chicken and fish) have an extremely high thermic effect. Carbohydrates and fat (in that order) have a lower thermic effect. In short, simply increasing the amount of protein in your diet will increase your metabolism. Don't you just love chicken so much more now?

Lastly, there's non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This activity (because in all actuality it IS an activity), accounts for approximately 15-50% of your total daily caloric burn, depending on whether or not you live a sedentary lifestyle. Some examples would be tying your shoes, walking to the bathroom, washing dishes, rolling up a car window, talking, texting, picking up a pencil, me writing this blog post...you get the idea.

Here comes another gold nugget: Studies conclude that performing simple tasks such as washing dishes instead of using a dishwasher, walking to work instead of driving, and taking stairs instead of the elevator can average out to approximately 120 extra calories spent per day, resulting in approximately 12 pounds of fat per year!

I've introduced this concept to many of my clients. It's not an excuse not to work out, but it is can be a huge contributor to success. Here are some examples of how you can apply it to your life:

-Take the stairs and not the elevator.
-Park far away from the store entrance instead of a close spot.
-Instead of emailing a co-worker, write a hand written note and walk to the co-worker's office.
-Stretch your arms, shoulders, or neck while sitting at a red light.
-Wash your dishes by hand.
-Ask for a standing station at work.
-Eat while standing up.
-Read while standing up.
-Talk on the phone while standing up. (Notice a trend here?)
-Wash your car by hand.

Of course, eating cleanly and exercising regularly is still the most effective weight loss program out there. But incorporate NEAT into your day and you could lose some unexpected weight.

So, what other ways can you think of so you can lose up to 12 pounds of fat within the next year?

Swimming, and my new found appreciation for it

I'm a terrible swimmer. The thing is, there are a lot of people who are probably terrible swimmers, so maybe this shouldn't be much of a surprise. But when you grow up on a lake in Maine and swim nearly every summer day from roughly age 7 to 17, and take swim lessons as a youngster, and generally love naturally made bodies of water, then this does come as a surprise. And when you consider yourself a pretty fit individual, then it goes from a surprise to a humbling shocker.

Now, I'm an endurance and cardio guy. I don't train much for pure strength because there isn't much need for me to. I generally,although not always, train in mid to high repetition ranges with weights and am an avid runner and biker. Naturally my ego told me that swimming would be a cake walk, so when I swam (I mean actually, really swam) for the first time in nearly 10 years at the YMCA in Freeport about a month and a half ago, I was in for a brutally rude awakening.

One length of the pool is 25 yards and one total lap is 50 yards. I'm a guy who is used to running 3 to 6 miles each time out without thinking too much about it, so I figured I'd be able to reel off 500 yards easily and be on my way. Not so fast! I was absolutely gassed after the first 50 yards and called it a day after 150.

I returned to the pool the following week and the same thing happened. The week after that the same thing happened. And the week after. Why was this happening? I've run a marathon and a half marathon and countless road races, for crying out loud! Well, after a little research--check this, this, and this--I was relieved to see I wasn't alone, that this is actually a common challenge for many runners.

Determined to get better for several upcoming triathlons planned this summer, I joined a fellow trainer's tri class at the YMCA in Portland. After explaining my struggles to her and showing her my ugly swimming form, she gave me a few things to work on. The week after that I was fortunate enough to get some instruction from one of the swim coaches. And this week coming up I will actually be getting in the pool with one of my clients (opportunities are EVERYWHERE if you are willing to look for them and accept them), a gal who used to be a Southern Maine swimming record holder about 35 years ago. The Tri for the Y is on May 19th and my goal is to swim the 325 yards in 7:30. We shall see.

Triathlons aside, if you want an excellent low impact, cardiovascular, total body workout capable of burning from 200-1000 calories an hour that is almost art-like, then I highly recommend for you to give swimming a chance.

The 2012 Summer Olympics are coming up. I will certainly be watching the swimming events with much more appreciation than years past. Much more.

What Motivates Me (Personally)

Here's the blog that covers the topic that some folks have been asking about. Honestly, this is a topic that I could probably write a novel on. But to spare your eyeballs from sizzling out of their sockets and you going nuts, I'll keep it relatively short. In an effort to do just that, I'll break down "what motivates me" into two different categories: what motivates me personally and what motivates me professionally. For the sake of your valuable time, I'm only going to talk about the former.

Personally, I'm motivated by three things: One, I want to feel good. Two, I want to be the absolute best that I can be at what I do in my spare time. And three, I want to look good. Feeling good should be the number one reason why anyone exercises and/or eats well. However, often times it sinks towards the bottom of the list for a lot of folks because they are more focused on number three on my list. Too many people get caught up in exercising and eating well so they can look good come beach time, but I guarantee you that that is a recipe for short-term healthy living. It's all about getting those happy brain chemicals like epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine partying like mad inside your head, leaving you with a feel-good feeling and ready to bring on the world! There have been many, many times where I have worked out a client or a member of the YMCA, and, regardless of how they were feeling prior to starting their session, they admitted feeling better AFTER they were done working out than they did before.


Polar Bear 5k-2.11.12
First in my age group with some sweet prizes


Number two may come as no surprise to some of you who know me. I'm an avid runner with a couple of triathlons under my belt. In order to be any good at these I need to exercise, right? Duh! While I will probably never finish number one overall in any road races (those early-20's whippersnappers sure are quick!), I thoroughly enjoy being better than anyone else in my age group and winning medals, prizes, and bragging rights. However, my new-found love is triathlons. When I won my age group at the Great Adventure Challenge last August, I proved to myself and to others that hard work pays off, always. When I went out to dinner with a couple of friends the night of the triathlon, one of my friends looked at me and asked, "What were your expectations going in to this?" I replied to her by saying exactly this: "I expected to win." She was a little surprised by that and said, "What? I've never known anyone to compete in something like this expecting to win." I said, "When you work and train as hard as I did for this, you expect to win." This can be applied across the board in the world of fitness. If you work hard and if you eat right, you will succeed with a long, healthy, happy lifetime.

And of course looking good is the cherry on top. It's the byproduct of being healthy and happy. Everyone likes to look good or wants to look good, but it will only happen if you can master the want-to-feel-good part first. And quite frankly, I don't want to be a statistic. Get this-- according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, it is estimated that by 2030, 86.3% of adults (nearly 9 in 10) in the U.S. will be overweight and 51.1% will be obese. No thanks. I want to be the 1 in 10 and help as many people as I can also be the 1 in 10, but I'll save that rant for my "what motivates me professionally" post...

Do It For Your Heart

In celebration of yesterday's Valentine's Day and all the hearts that were being given, taken, and maybe even broken, I thought I'd write up a little something about how important cardiovascular exercise is to YOU and YOUR heart.

For years, studies have been done showing how important cardiovascular exercise is to our overall well-being, yet I am still asked all the time by new and even long term clients, "How much cardio should I be doing?" For someone just starting out, I usually recommend at least 20 minutes 3-5 days per week, depending on their capabilities. For someone who has been at it for awhile in Fitnessville, I will take a look at their current regimen and make any necessary corrections. However, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that YOU should do your cardio exercise for 20-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week at a moderate intensity level. A lot of folks hate cardio (especially men), but the beauty of cardio is that it can be done anywhere and for practically zero cost.

Think about it. All you need to do is lace up your New Balance running shoes and go for a walk or run. Or go for a swim. Or a bike ride. Or shovel snow consistently. Or do some intervals at your local track. Or take a spin class at your local YMCA. The point is to just get that heart rate up for 20-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week at a moderate level of intensity.

If YOU do this now, just look at all the benefits YOU'LL reap: slower resting heart rate, more efficient lungs, decreased bad cholesterol, increased circulation, happy-go-lucky feeling endorphins, stronger muscles, and an improved, better, healthier, more efficient heart. After all, what are you without a happy, healthy ticker?

Update on the Primal Diet

Just wanted to give everyone an update on the Primal Diet. To sum it up: it was a failure. The diet began its end about eight days after it started and officially ended two days later.

When I work out, I normally do so with an intensity level somewhere between 8 and 10 on a scale of 1-10 (unless it's yoga). Well, I was in the middle of a fairly easy chest and back routine when suddenly my energy level plummeted about halfway through. At first I thought that maybe my energy level was low because of the lack of sleep I endured the prior three and a half months. The second thought I had was the diet.

Fast-forward to the next night. I was teaching my spin class at the Greater Portland YMCA when the same thing happened. If my bike had been mobile, I would have crashed into a brick wall about halfway through. The energy just wasn't there. I had gotten a good night of sleep before and never really had any problems working out while not sleeping from mid-September to the end of December. I immediately blamed the diet and its lack of whole grain carbs.

Fast-forward to the next night. A friend of mine called and wanted to go to Flatbread in downtown Portland. Not quite ready to give up on the diet so soon--after all, it was only 10 days old--I agreed to go but decided beforehand to get one of their delicious salads.

Need I continue? Well, all that changed when I sat down in the restaurant, glanced over at the brick oven, and saw a couple of gorgeous pizzas cooking in the heat.

So the diet lasted 10 days and I'm glad it lasted only 10 days. I'm an endurance athlete. I enjoy training at an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale of 1-10 and carbs--whole grain carbs--help me do just that. After tinkering with the Primal Diet a little, I really believe that it would be great for folks who have sedentary jobs, who are looking to alter body composition, or both. Neither of those things are me.

Time to look at the next experiment...

The New Year's primal diet

I'm not usually big on New Year's resolutions. While I'm certainly in favor of a clean start (depending on the circumstance), I don't think it should take a brand new year to start something that you should have been doing all year long. You know you should be exercising. You know you should be eating better. Why wait until January 1st to do this? If you start an exercise routine or a new "diet" after the ball drops, chances are (but hopefully not) you'll be in the majority and drop off by March. So get a jump start during some other time of year and you'll be in mid-season form by the new year!

However, I am a big fan of experimenting (with food, silly!). Experimenting with food, exercise, and how my body reacts to certain stresses and/or diets usually leaves me learning a lot more about myself than I had before the experiment. For instance, I set a goal in the summer of 2010 to go vegan and cut out all caffeine, sugar, animal by-products, alcohol, and gluten for 30 days. Needless to say, this was extraordinarily difficult and I ended it at 18 days. The first day left me with a raging headache and by day 18 I had dropped to a weight that I wasn't comfortable being at. But it was interesting nonetheless. I learned a lot about vegan foods, alternative sources of protein (i.e. soy instead of the animal-based whey), and that rice bread is horribly disgusting and practically inedible! But I'm glad I tried it.

And this leads me to my next experiment: The Primal Diet. This "diet" is growing in popularity in the health and wellness industry. The thought process is that it eliminates processed foods and reduces carbohydrate intake, reverting the "dieter" back to more primitive food sources such as plants and animals. By eating a primal diet, you can improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce your risk of many chronic diseases, and improve the functioning of your body at a cellular level (Livestrong, Primal Diet).

So what will I be eating over the next month? Well, the primal diet calls for wild meats, preferably of the free-range variety, and will include chicken, beef, turkey, venison, haddock, and salmon. I'll also be indulging in lots of veggies and fruits, although potatoes and rice will be eaten in moderation and berries are the only real preferred fruit in the primal diet. Pretty much any kind of nut will be a staple, although peanuts aren't considered a real nut so I won't be eating any of these (no honey roasted peanuts....NOOOOO!) Cheese and yogurt are still okay to eat in moderation, as is dark chocolate. And alcohol is supposedly okay to drink, but I'll be cutting this out of the diet completely for the next month. The beauty of experimenting though is just that: it's experimenting! Therefore I'll be cheating a little bit by adding oatmeal to the mix along with one of my absolute staples, whey protein powder.

So there it is! It'll be interesting to see how the month of January goes. Will I lose weight? Will I gain weight? Will I feel healthier, faster, stronger, and more durable? I'll let you all know at the end of the month of the end of the diet, whichever comes first!

But until then, Happy New Year!