There is more and more scientific evidence: the regular practice of physical exercise is very beneficial for the prevention of certain types of cancer. And not only that, but moving the body also helps to improve the side effects associated with treatments and the disease, as well as reducing the chances of patients suffering a recurrence or relapse.
"It is considered that approximately half of cancers could be prevented by avoiding exposure to certain substances in the diet and in the environment, such as tobacco, alcohol, ultraviolet rays..., and by improving our diet and lifestyle," explains the Dr. Begoña Mellado, oncologist and senior consultant of the Medical Oncology Service of Hospital Clínic.
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Rocio Carmona"We currently know that exercise decreases chronic inflammation in tissues, and we know that one in six cancers is related to chronic tissue inflammation," says Dr. Odile Fernández, a survivor of metastatic ovarian cancer, author of the success of sales My anti-cancer recipes (Uranus) and a great activist of physical exercise and healthy eating.
Fernández goes on to explain: “We also know that exercise stimulates and strengthens the immune system, and makes natural killers, the lymphocytes that are the first line of defense, more aggressive in eliminating viruses, pathogens, and tumor cells. Physical activity also improves insulin sensitivity resistance, which is associated with increased risk of diabetes, obesity and cancer. In addition, it improves blood circulation and the health of our mitochondria, thus helping to eliminate free radicals that can influence our risk of cancer.”
Also during treatment
The benefits of moving the body during treatment are not negligible either, as Dr. Begoña Mellado explains: "Physical activity and exercise are beneficial in cancer patients before, during and at the end of treatment."
And he specifies: "These benefits are multiple: maintaining muscle mass and muscle strength, improving cardiovascular capacity, improving mood, maintaining bone health, better tolerating treatments... Exercise also improves a very frequent effect on patients with cancer, such as asthenia or fatigue. It is a very characteristic type of fatigue, which does not especially improve with rest, for which there is no pharmacological treatment and which can have a negative impact on their quality of life".
Fortunately, the resources to treat cancer improve year after year, which allows a longer life expectancy for patients. But, after treating the disease, many of the patients must receive hormonal treatments that can cause side effects in the medium and short term.
This is the case of prostate cancer patients treated by Dr. Mellado. “The side effects can be loss of muscle mass, tiredness, osteoporosis, obesity, glucose or lipid metabolism alteration… In our team we encourage patients to engage in physical activity and exercise as a way to prevent the development of these side effects and thus preserving their quality of life. In addition, physical activity has been shown to reduce mortality in patients who have been treated for cancer, specifically in the case of breast and colon cancer, ”she states.
What type of activity is recommended?
Dr. Begoña Mellado warns that there is still much to be investigated in this regard, although she recommends practicing both aerobic exercise and strength exercise: "It is important to take into consideration that doing physical activity is better than leading a sedentary life, that doing aerobic exercise has clear benefits, but that the greatest benefit comes from combining aerobic exercise with strength training.
She points out that when they talk about strength exercises, they can be very gentle exercises, which can be accessible to the vast majority of patients, or can even be done sitting down.
The greatest benefit is obtained by combining aerobic exercises with strength exercises.
Begoña MelladoOncologist, Hospital Clínic"Yes, it is important that the patient, before doing an intense exercise, consult with his doctor, nurse or physical therapist so that he can assess her physical condition and can recommend what may be most appropriate for him," she warns.
Soraya Casla, head of the Oncological Physical Exercise Unit of the Spanish Association Against Cancer and a doctor in oncological physical exercise, insists that physical activity has a very positive impact in preventing the appearance of treatment-related side effects, such as such as "the reduction of cardiovascular capacity, a parameter that is related to survival, or specific changes in body composition," he says.
She also clarifies: “The most beneficial exercise is the one that helps us maintain an adequate body composition, working on muscle mass with patients who lose it, and working on an increase in caloric expenditure in those who have to lose weight. This helps us maintain the balance of the body composition of patients and a fairly high state of health and quality of life”.
Casla, who from the AECC offers free online programs accessible to all patients, assures that, after treatment, it is essential to maintain a movement routine, as this can help increase survival, “especially in breast cancer patients , ovarian cancer, endometrial, colon and prostate cancer”.
Three days of cardio a week, two of strength
Regarding the amount and type of exercise, the AECC recalls that all international guidelines agree on the recommended minimum to have an impact on health, especially in cancer patients: 150 minutes a week, divided into three different days.
According to Casla, “the ideal is to do three days of cardiovascular exercise that improves the power of our heart and blood circulation, plus two days of toning or strength exercise. The latter has proven to be increasingly important, especially in the elderly and in patients with muscle mass loss, because it helps to recover it, maintain it and improve the functionality of patients, which greatly impacts their day-to-day life" .
He explains that "the simplest option is to exercise five days a week, combining one day of cardiovascular exercise and the next, toning. It is also important that the programs are progressive, that we can adapt to a gradual increase in intensity. We should not be afraid to do it little by little, both the amount and the intensity. From 300 minutes of exercise a week there are even more benefits, especially in young women when it comes to preventing hormonal tumors, "says this exercise specialist oncologist, who also warns that in the coming months "we are going to see a peak in cancer diagnoses due to delays in screening and diagnoses, as a consequence of covid"
In first person
"While I was exercising, I didn't think about chemo or death, but about doing it well"
Dr. Odile Fernández recounts her experience as a patient and how exercise helped her live better with the disease: “When I finished the chemo treatments, I made up my mind not to stop exercising so as not to suffer that much-feared tumor recurrence, so common in breast cancer. ovary. Exercise was good for me during chemotherapy and after. While the treatment lasted I had less nausea, less fatigue, I noticed that after training I had more joy, more desire to live, and above all, that while I was exercising I was not thinking about chemotherapy, death, illness, but was focused on doing it well and enjoying it. In addition, we know that, when we practice regularly, our body secretes serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, which make us feel good, relax the body, reduce the mental load that we all carry and make us feel stronger. For me it was essential and it still is ten years later. I keep practicing it. I have been changing, at times I have done more cardio, like running or cycling, and now I am doing more strength training to gain more muscle and feel stronger.
This doctor's recommendation when starting to move is, first, to find out about the benefits of exercise and, after finding our motivation, always have what she calls "a counterexcuse" ready: "When I don't feel like exercising because it's hot, I can think: I'm going to wear light clothes, I'm going to bring more water, I'm going to go out when the sun goes down... If it's cold: I'm going to dress in layers..."
There are days of treatment that it is even difficult to get up from the chair; because that day the challenge is to get to the door
Odile FernándezPhysician and ovarian cancer survivorShe adds that it also helps to find a partner with whom to go out to exercise and share physical activity, and challenge yourself a little more each day. "There are days when, during treatment, it's even hard to get up from the chair. Well, that day I can set myself the challenge that I'm going to get to the door; tomorrow I'll walk ten meters, the next day another five; when I feel good I'll sign up to my first 5 km race or I'm going to manage to do 5 km with the bike... And it's also important to be constant. When you are constant, in the end exercise becomes something so essential that you need it for your day to day", he concludes .
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