Hello,
I’ve been trying to find something to keep me active but not make me feel too tired while doing my treatment. I’ve heard yoga is very beneficial both physically and psychologically.
Has anyone tried it?
Many thanks :smileyvery-happy: :smileyhappy:
Hello,
I’m sorry I can’t comment on yoga as I’ve never done it, but I think any type of exercise that you enjoy will be good for you. I’m a runner, and I ran all through treatment. Often it was more of a slow shuffle, but I always felt better for it. Somehow being tired from exercise was so much better than being tired from chemo etc. And I really think that it helped with my recovery and general wellbeing. Good luck to you.
I managed to keep running through my EC chemo but found aerobic exercise more difficult (no stamina!) during taxol chemo. I’ve found climbing much more doable throughout, being more anaerobic. It’s also been good to stretch out my arm and shoulder post-surgery. I’d think yoga would be very similar. Also good for distraction purposes!
Hi yoga is good and can be quite relaxing and gentle stretches and your flexibility will improve. There are different types, I have a DVD by Barbara Currie which is good. ?
I have mentioned this before, I use the ‘Yoga Studio’ (lotus flower symbol) app regularly, there are a range of classes for all abilities, including relaxation meditation. It is well explained, demonstrated & reviewed & you don’t have to go anywhere!
ann
Hi
I am 5 weeks post surgery and have been doing gentle yoga stretches daily and I feel it has helped with regaining arm movement , I also walk every day to get fresh air into my body , I am hoping to start running again very soon, also tai chi exercises helped. I honestly think doing exercise has helped my recovery, good luck to you and keep moving forward ?
Cancer patients who practice yoga as therapy during their treatment often refer to their yoga practice as a life-saver. No matter how sick from treatments and no matter how little energy, many find that the one thing that would bring relief were a gentle set of therapeutic yoga poses geared for cancer patients.
When battling cancer, the worst part is not just the symptoms of the disease itself, but often the discomfort and debilitating fatigue brought on from cancer treatments. Whether faced with the scar-tissue of surgery or ongoing nausea and weakness from chemotherapy or radiation, cancer patients endure a long road of physical trials.
But as many cancer patients and cancer survivors are discovering, there are ways to strengthen their bodies and deal with the uncomfortable side-effects of treatment, both during and after treatment. As the interest in more holistic approaches to healing is growing, yoga therapy for cancer patients and cancer survivors is emerging as one of the more successful methods for combating the physical discomfort of cancer and cancer treatment.
How does yoga help relieve the suffering that cancer all too often brings with it? Gentle yoga poses for cancer patients can work magic on many levels. First of all, yoga used as therapy for cancer can help clear out toxins accrued during cancer treatment more effectively. Yoga asanas stimulate not just muscles, but also increases blood flow, balances the glands and enhances the lymphatic flow in the body, all of which enhances the body’s internal purification processes. The deep, relaxing breathing often emphasized in yoga for cancer therapy also increases the current of oxygen-rich blood to the cells, delivering vital nutrients to tired cells and further clearing out toxins.
In addition to removing toxins, yoga for cancer can help dissipate tension and anxiety and enable cancer patients to settle into a greater sense of ease and well-being. Stress depresses the body’s natural immune function, which may be one of the reasons that there is evidence that people who practice yoga for cancer have greater recovery rates. Yoga according to astrology from vedshastra.com
Regular exercise also has been shown to stimulate the body’s natural anti-cancer defenses. However, few cancer patients or cancer survivors feel up to the task of engaging in a ‘regular’ exercise regimen. Many find that yoga as therapy for cancer provides an ideal, balanced form of whole-body exercise. It’s no wonder that more and more doctors have begun to recommend yoga for cancer patients and cancer survivors.
For those enduring chemotherapy and radiation, yoga for cancer provides a means to strengthen the body, boost them immune system, and produce a much-sought-after feeling of well-being. For those recovering from surgery, such as that for breast cancer, yoga can help restore motion and flexibility in a gentle, balanced manner.
Yoga for cancer survivors and patients also provides an internal anchor of calm. Many practicing yoga therapy have discovered an interesting, subtle benefit, an increased awareness of a great, internal stillness and sense of unity. They’ve found, at the most fundamental level of their own consciousness, a sense of true health and vitality that spills over into other aspects of life.
Hi I am over 2 years passed diagnosis (sept 14), mastectomy, chemo, rads and reconstruction.
I continued to do yoga and body balance 5 or 6 times a week from 3 weeks after mx. My surgeon was amazed at the flexibility I achieved very quickly in my operated side shoulder and arm.
It gave me something positive to do and calming on the mind.
Big BUT - my yoga teacher only allowed me in the class because I was a regular before surgery. She wouldn’t let a newbie practice until they have the green light from surgeon.
You must be careful not to over stress your body if you are not used to it.
Some leisure centres and hospices offer relaxation and cancer rehabilitation classes which is a better choice if you are new to exercise.
I am disabled but do whats called Reformer Pilates.
I can lay down on the platform and straps, cords support arms and legs whilst giving gentle resistance.
Stretching out tight, sore achy muscles helps me feel better.
i attend a special session once a week for people like myself as trainier also sports injury therapist so understands about physical problems and adapts exerises for each of us.
I invested in machine at home so can use anytime, but aim to do overall 2-3 sessions a week.
well worth exploring if need more support. 