"Exercise" and "cancer", are they mutually reinforcing or mutually exclusive?

In 2016, the Outline of Healthy China 2030 Plan was released. “Healthy China” became popular all over the country, and national fitness was in full swing! The concept of “life lies in exercise” was deeply rooted in people’s hearts! Square dancing took over major squares and parks; fitness equipment also appeared in major communities...

However, some previous misconceptions and rumors about exercise remain persistent. The following remarks can often be seen in the circle of friends of cancer patients: for example, “Although exercise promotes metabolism and blood circulation, it will accelerate the spread of cancer cells,” and “Cancer is a wasting disease and you need to rest and avoid physical exertion.”

Many friends with cancer have suffered from this and are caught in a dilemma of wanting to move but not daring to.

So for cancer patients, will exercise have a negative impact on the body?

Let’s hear what the experts say?

In March 2018, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) convened 17 partners, including the American Cancer Society, for an expert roundtable to provide recommendations on the benefits of exercise for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation based on the latest scientific evidence.

The recommendations point out three benefits of exercise for cancer prevention, treatment and prognosis!

1. Exercise is very important for all adults to prevent cancer. Exercise can reduce the risk of seven common cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, etc.

2. Exercise can help improve the survival rate of cancer patients. A large number of studies have shown that proper exercise can improve the immunity and resistance of cancer patients.

3. Exercise can improve emotional and psychological problems such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, etc. experienced by cancer patients during and after cancer treatment.

It can be seen that exercise has great benefits in the prevention, treatment and prognosis of cancer, but there are many tragedies caused by "exercise" in real life. Some cancer patients get up early and work out late to improve their physical fitness, which eventually induces acute pneumothorax and dies; some patients rupture blood vessels in the cold due to early morning exercise, causing stroke...

These tragedies are not caused by "exercise". Rather, they are caused by improper exercise. Therefore, knowing how to exercise is the most important thing.

A variety of different types of exercise are key to a safe and effective approach during and after cancer treatment. They typically include:

1. Breathing exercises. Some cancer patients may have shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. They may even feel nervous and anxious. Breathing exercises not only help move air in and out of the lungs, thereby improving endurance, but also help relieve stress and anxiety that cause muscle tension. Inhale slowly through the nose, with the abdomen bulging. When exhaling, narrow the mouth and slowly concave the abdomen, and extend the exhalation time as much as possible. Do 10 in each group, 2-3 groups each time.

2. Stretching exercises. Regular stretching can improve flexibility and posture. It helps increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles and can also help the body repair itself. For some patients who have not exercised for a long time after tumor surgery or radiotherapy, stretching exercises can effectively relieve muscle stiffness.

3. Aerobic exercise. It can enhance the cardiopulmonary function of cancer patients and relieve fatigue of cancer patients during and after treatment. For many people, walking and cycling are simple ways to do aerobic exercise. The 2020 WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior recommend that adults with chronic diseases and the elderly engage in 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Or you can do 150 minutes of vigorous exercise. However, high-intensity exercise is generally not recommended for cancer patients, because high-intensity exercise will consume physical energy extremely, easily cause injuries, and at the same time cause the body's resistance to cancer to decrease.

4. Strength training. If cancer patients do not pay attention to exercise during treatment and rehabilitation, muscle atrophy is likely to occur. Some clinical treatments can also cause muscle weakness. Proper strength training or resistance training with dumbbells and elastic bands can help maintain and exercise strong muscles. Improve balance, reduce fatigue and prevent osteoporosis.

How do cancer patients choose the appropriate amount of exercise?

Usually, if you sleep well at night after exercise, you will feel energetic and recover normally the next day. This is the appropriate amount of exercise. If you feel very tired after resting the next day, you should adjust the amount of exercise in time and reduce the exercise time appropriately. Finally, you should master the intensity of each exercise. It is generally recommended to exercise at a moderate intensity, that is, when you exercise, your breathing will be slightly rapid and you will sweat a little. When we stop exercising and take a proper rest, we can restore our normal heart rate.

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Author: Zhao Jiangxia, Guo Yisha, Bi Xia, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Funded by Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's Science Popularization Project

(Project No.: 20DZ2311100)