Hello, I have received a diagnosis yesterday of stage two breast cancer and wanted to ask about running. Is it ok to run or use my rowing machine? Waiting on plastic surgery app before I have a date for mastectomy and not sure what to do. Any advise gratefully received.
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Hello @mlp74
I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis
The short answer is absolutely yes keep running you are not going to cause yourself any issues by continuing to run and there is no doubting that being physically fit will help you through your treatment and beyond: exercise has been shown to help decrease the risk of recurrence
However what I would say is if your running is your “mindfulness time” then I would try to find alternative ways of practicing mindfulness which don’t involve running, going through breast cancer treatment is physical mentally and emotionally draining and if you are not able to run, you may find dealing with some of the emotional and mental “side effects” more tricky.
There are lots of resources available through Breast Cancer Now and if you use Instagram I’d recommend following Dr Liz O’Riordan, ticking off breast cancer, and get me back
Wishing you all the best for your treatment please don’t be afraid to reach out both here and in real life.
AM xxx
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Hi mlp74
Thanks for posting. It can be difficult to know what you can and can’t do following a diagnosis of breast cancer.
As @AM has said it should be fine to keep on with your current exercise regime including running and using your rowing machine until you have your surgery, unless you are still bruised or tender following any biopsy.
After your surgery do talk to your surgeon and breast care nurse about which exercises would be appropriate while you are recovering. You may also find it helpful to read some information on exercises during and after treatment.
We offer a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.
For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link.
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Best wishes
Carolyn
Breast Care Nurse
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