Strength Training. Why it’s essential for cancer patients.
Learning to love the gym. I wasn’t expecting the buzz I’d get.
I feel like everywhere I look, someone else is banging on about strength training. So I’m jumping on the band wagon. What’s all the hype? The fitness industry thrives on trends. So is this just a fad?
The answer is a hard NO.
For me, anyway.
Strength training for cancer patients is definitely not a trend. It’s a fashion for life. Here’s how I’ve modified my training to include more strength work. And how it’s making me feel.
First off, here are a few reasons why strength training is so important for cancer patients.
Weights doesn’t have to mean lifting weights. It can be body weight.
Recovery. Most cancer patients lose muscle mass during their treatment. Why? Reduced activity. More resting. General exhaustion. Cancer treatment is brutal and takes up a lot of energy. Your body prioritises dealing with treatment over maintaining muscles. So, it’s important to try and keep, rebuild or replace what’s lost.
Metabolism . Muscle is metabolically active, which means it burns calories. Most cancer patients gain weight during their treatment. Some lose. Either way, having more muscle helps with weight management.
Sarcopenia. This refers to losing muscle mass as we age. It happens to all of us from around age 30. It’s natural and normally a gradual decline. But for many cancer patients, the process is accelerated. In some cases, rapidly. We ALL have to do weight bearing exercise to prevent the decline.
Longevity. Maintaining - or building - muscle helps ensure we will still be active into older age. It’s never too soon to start thinking about longevity and functionality. No-one wants to be a frail old person. Let’s fight to be that 80 year old who’s still doing all the cool stuff. Or at least the one who’s maintaining their independence and walking up and down the stairs unaided. If you’re in your 40s or 50s that might seem a long way away. But now really is the time to build the foundations.
Protection. Muscle helps strengthen and protect our bones from osteopenia or osteoporosis. Another fun, post cancer side effect that affects many women - and men - post cancer. Me included. If you’re plunged into premature menopause or are taking aromatase inhibitors or other hormone therapy, you really need to be doing weights to protect yourself.
I feel stronger every week. It’s become a little bit addictive!
In spite of being a fitness professional and athlete, I’ve never massively been into lifting weights. I always maintained my strength through just doing my sports. Until now. Now, after losing muscle and fitness during cancer treatment, that doesn’t feel like enough. So I’ve embraced the gym. It’s seriously addictive feeling your body getting stronger week by week.
Want to feel what I feel? Drop me a line and I can help you put together a weights programme. For home or the gym. Whatever your level.