few months, we shared our favorite tips for fitting exercise into your treatment program, and discussed how important it was to respect the current fitness level of your body. Today we'll take a deeper look at how to build your fitness base so you can increase your level of physical activity safely.
Getting into ?? or back in ?? form is something many patients struggling with mesothelioma. Some patients have not exercised in the year. Others remained active until the side effects of treatment interfered with their ability to exercise. Regardless of the above circumstances, building a fitness base is a challenge. However, once you have a consistent basis, you can increase the duration and intensity of your workouts to improve your overall fitness.
The following tips are recommended by Anna Schwarz, Ph.D., family nurse practitioner and member of the American Academy of Nursing. These tips can help patients avoid working too hard, too early, and the development of fatigue or injury which might dissuade them from continuing their fitness journey.
working with a coach
Schwarz found that cancer patients who have created their own fitness regimen often trained harder and faster than patients who followed the plan of a personal trainer. After four weeks, the survivors of self-training were fitter and faster than those who have worked with a personal trainer. However, after five or six weeks, most of the self-formed group had abandoned the plan because they found too hard or too painful.
Schwarz recommends the LIVESTRONG program offered by most gyms YMCA. These programs are designed specifically for cancer survivors who need to build muscle mass, endurance and self-esteem. Certified trainers can assess the level of the personal ability of each patient and adjust the training program after the patient has reached a solid fitness base.
Track Your Progress
Keep records of your daily activity and daily fatigue levels. Schwarz suggests a simple 10 rating scale, one being less active and less fatigue and 10 being the most active and more tired. At the beginning of an exercise regimen, your activity level should be low while you build your base fitness. Trainers should then increase gradually as your capacity increases.
If your fatigue levels and exercise levels increase considerably at the same time, you may be training too hard or too much. Reduce the length and intensity of your workouts while continuing to track your activity and fatigue. If your fatigue does not disappear ?? or if you think this is not linked to your exercise routine ?? . Be sure to contact your oncologist
Start small and gradually improve
Your exercise routine should incorporate small segments for each of the following:
- strength training
- range of training movement / stretching
- physical Cardiovascular
It may be that some of these activities are easier than others. For example, some patients can walk for an hour without feeling tired, but struggle with weight of 10 pounds. Evaluate your capacity for each of these activities, and spend the first weeks of your workout routine doing the same activity for the same amount of time. Once your body is used to the effort, you can add time to cardiovascular routines or weight to bodybuilding routines.
Shoot for 15 to 30 minutes of physical activity per day. If you can not do 15 minutes straight, break your exercise sessions into shorter segments, adding the time until you have reached the target of 15 to 30 minutes.
Knowing when Tone it Down
If you have difficulty breathing during exercise, you're probably too hard exercise. Stop and catch your breath. Once you feel in control of your air flow, slow down or reduce the amount of weight you handle.
Do not hesitate to take ?? or many ?? rest days if you feel like you can not manage a workout.
You can find the rest of the opinion of Schwartz in the October 2012 issue Perspectives on best practices ?? Oncology .
What is your current training regiment? Is there a topic you want to talk about? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook.
