Work Outs for Breast Cancer Patients

I recently have had to battle breast cancer, this is becoming an epidemic in our young women in their 30's (even 20's and teens believe it or not). I am desperately trying to get my life back, my health back. It has been hard to find exersice videos tailored to this avenue. I have been lucky, I am 32 years old and was in decent shape before all this mess, and I know that working out everyday helped me through the side effects of chemo. What about the women out there though that could use a tailored made video to get them moving during and after chemo?
 
I'm not Cathe but I had to add a congratulations on finishing your treatment! I'm a surivor too (diagnosed at 36, bilateral mascectomy at 37) and I also believe working out kept me energetic and "healthy" during 6 months of chemo. I did the same videos during and immediately after chemo that I have always done (Cathe) I just didn't push myself like I normally would, and walking was much more a part of my workout routine during chemo. The fresh air did wonders for my spirit. It is awesome that you are on the road to recovery. Our bodies are wonderfully made and you will surprised at how quickly you bounce back. You're in my prayers and God bless!
 
Wow, what an inspiring story! Welcome to Cathe's place. Do you have Cathe's Basic Step/Body Fusion and also High step Circuit? They are beginner/Intermediate level workouts and they might work for you. Maybe you could use any of the strength workouts and just lower your weights or use no weight at all? Cathe is also coming out with some new workouts that are listed at the "pre-order" right now that are more for beginners. Just some ideas but I just wanted to say Welcome and how nice it is to hear about your postive attitude. (You too Denise!)
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie")http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
Thank you so much. I don't have anyone really to talk to about all this stuff that completely understands, but it sounds as if you do.
I know that working out did wonders for me, but so many women are more sick than I ever was. I would love to see something out there for women that is safe for post surgery / undergoing chemo that might motivate someone to come out of this battle in better shape than when they went in...that was such a boost for me to know that I looked better after cancer than before - of course the transflap reconstruction helped after having a baby :).
Thank you for the thoughts and mine are with you as well.
 
I'm not cathe but I just wanted to chime in and say congratulations to both of you. My mother and aunt ( her sister) have both had breast cancer. My mom is five years cancer free this year my aunt six. I recently had a scare myself in April but all turned out well for me but I couldn't help think of what could have been. My mom contributed much of her recovery and health to exercise and used Kelli Roberts and Cher videos. Now she does Leslie Sansone. I think mabye Cathe's newer tapes that she has for sale may have fit the bill for her back then. Yoga has many wonderful healing purposes. I for one exercise and eat well in hopes of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle if this happens to me one day. I congratulate all of the survivors and love all of you for your courage from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for writing on this isssue. karen
 
Congratulations on taking the steps to get your life and your health back!

I'm obviously not Cathe but as a trainer I've worked with BC survivors, and it's really important that health care providers be involved in the post-op and recovery process. Because every person's case is a little different, some exercises can be just right one person but completely wrong (and even harmful) for someone else -- especially if lymph nodes were removed. Also, there can be postural issues involved afterwards (like a sloping shoulder).

So pleasepleaseplease check with your doc and/or therapist before starting with any resistance training! :)
 
I am not Cathe but I thought you might be interest in what I did during my treatment for cancer.

First let me say congratulations I know how hard it is to get through the chemo.


I just completed my five year treatment plan for breast cancer. I also had radiation and chemo and I agree it was difficult to keep the energy level up. I have always been energetic and pretty fit and didn't want to lose that part of my life. My daughter in-law (cruncholi)introduced me to Cathe's workouts. She gave me Cathe's Wedding tape and I used that during my chemo and radiation treatment time. I did what I could do of the workout routine......I never could get through the entire routine but I was determined to do what I could at the time. After the chemo I tried the Step/Body Fusion and each day I could go a little further so I went back and tried Cathe's Wedding again and what a joy it was the day I managed to complete the entire routine! That's when I knew I was getting my old self back! I found that another benefit of working out with Cathe is her motivation and positive attitude that comes through during the routines and that is something that is so important when trying to get through a health crisis.

I do agree with what lilmsfit said about talking with your dr. I have problems with my arm and neck and when I try the weight-lifting because I had nodes removed, so I have to modify the routine when using weights.

I have been through the battle and I can tell you that it takes time but the life you knew before the battle does come back. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as your good health returns!

Ellen
 
Thank you and congrats to you! 5 Years sounds so far away right now! (My chemo just ended April 18th) I was fortunate enough to not have to endure radiation, but the 8 rounds of chemo was enough! I had been a runner for a few years - just 3-5 miles 3 to 6 nights a week, but the last year before diagnosis I was having trouble getting through even my easiest run. So I quit for a while, tried to pick it back up from time to time and just couldn't get there. So once I was diagnosed and I had the bilateral mastectomy with trans flap reconstruction, I began walking every single day even if it was jsut one slow mile. Was able to continue during chemo, but got bored. Flipping the channels found Cathe on FITTV and started doing her stuff and instantly felt motivated again. I was very careful with the weights and just felt so much better. Well then wham, had to have more surgery and an additional reconstruction back in June, so I had to take a month off completely no working out...I followed Dr. orders but that sucked! I feel so yucky and depressed. Even tho I was able to start again last week, it is hard when you can't pick up were you left off. I am one to push to hard so it takes a lot to restrain myself. Little by little I know I will get there, but the weight gain from treatments and the fact you do have to be careful with everything is overwhelming. I can only imagine how I will feel after my hysterectomy at the end of the year. Will worry about that when I get there! Thank you to everyone for the positive "conversation". I am glad to know that there are other women out there who are futher down the path of recovery than I am that can say it is all worth it! :*
 
I wish you were local!! I would love to have a trainer but don't even know how to go about finding one that is knowledgeable about BC and what is ok and what isn't in my area.
 
Wow congrats to all of you. My mother was diagonsed with breast cancer a little over 7 years ago, she decided to try herbs instead of chemo, and had very very good sucess so much so, that last year when they did did her mamogram, they redid it, thinking someone had switched the films as there was nothing there, just normal breast tissue. But the second one showed the same as the first. So now she’s completey cleared as a cancer paticent.

I believe exercise is very very important during chemo and especially after it. There are a few things to be aware of if you've had chemo:

1. Do weight training as Chemo will take a bit of the calicum out of your bones, and have a higher percentage of calicum in your diet. 2. Also do as much cardio as you can, as it will help fight the cancer as well as the chemo affects, during and after chemo treatments.

And please do talk to your doctor about getting a Dexa Scan a very easy and simple test 20 minutes and all you got to do is lay still. You will find out how dense your bones are. All the women I've worked with that have had Chemo have lost bone mass and once the doctor was convince to do a Dexa scan, and seen the results they were all put on a specal medicine to help make their bones more dense, as well as to add more calicum to their diet and to do a lot more weight training. Even if it's been a few years since your treatments, if you think your bones have lost anything get the test done. It will tell you, and you can change your diet to fix it, and won't be such a high risk for osteoporosis. And you can monitor your progress by having another scan done in 1 to 2 years, and seeing your bones getting harder and harder.

For those who had radation:

1. Be very very careful with flexing exercises as well as with weight training. A lot of times radation will take the elastic from the skin, as well as the protective layer over your muscles. So if you build muscles it will actually snap the protective layer (fuscia) if you build too quickly. Or it will stretch the skin too fast leaving stretch marks.

Also a lot if times the skin that took the radation is just so thin it turns hard, so it doesn't stretch at all, you can actually tear your skin doing a chest press, just like someone cut you with a knife.

Some of this are extream cases who either had a lot of radation or just very senitive to it. But everyone loses a bit of elastic from the radation, it's just knowing how much. So improve slowly and really warm up, I'd seriously suggest a 10 minute warm up or better as the fuscia is like taffy, the warm it gets the more stretchy it gets.

On occasion I’ve gotten to personal train people who have and breast cancer and even some men are now getting this. I've ended up finding stuff out either by from the doctor or my own research and talking to the experts on the subject.

But congrats and way to go, you have won the battle and keep on going and fighting and make sure it doesn't come back with diet and exercise. But also make sure your geting the test you need done. As a lot of times doctors don't think your at risk of losing bone mass, if your under 40 when you have the Chemo done. Which isn't true, all the women I've trained who have had Chemo have all been under 25, and once convenced to get their doctor to do a Dexa Scan, were all put on a special medicine to help increase their bone density as it was low.

Kit
 
:p And just to be a pest: PLEASE, if you had lymph nodes removed, do check with your doc and physical therapist before you start strength training. :)
 
Just to emphasize the importance of checking with your doc before beginning exercises....I had so many people who COULD NOT BELIEVE my surgeon didn't even want me to stretch or lift light weights until he said so. SEVERAL "Well meaning" friends all knew someone who was told to stretch and perform exercises immediately after surgery and they just couldn't understand what my doc was talking about. Well guess what, things change. I had immediate reconstruction, their friends didn't. I volunteer with Reach to Recovery, an American Cancer Society program to help breast cancer survivors. Years ago, you would show up at the hospital immediately after a patient had surgery with a guide to gentle exercises they could do to help recovery. This was before immediate reconstruction options. The exercise portion of the program was removed and now if a patient asks about exercise options, the standard response is check with your surgeon. So actually, this would apply even if you didn't have any lymph nodes removed.

Blessings,
Denise
 
Big congratulations on completing your treatment and your commitment to exercise and regaining your health. :)

If you're interested in a DVD/video workout specifically for women recovering from breast cancer, I do know of one by Miranda Esmonde-White, who specializes in stretching-type exercise DVDs and videos. I have one of her Classical Stretch workouts and really enjoy it, though I must say that her style isn't for everyone (she can be a bit chatty and her cueing is a little spotty sometimes). But she's a breast cancer survivor who has put out a workout specifically for women recovering for breast cancer. Here's a description from her website:

"This video is aimed at women who have recently undergone breast cancer surgery and would like to follow a rehabilitation program to help regain the full range of movement in the shoulder and arm. It is a 25-minute workout with a brief dialogue at the end of the video where Esmonde-White shares her emotional journey through her own struggle with breast cancer."

Having never done this particularly workout, I can't say for sure, but it might be worth checking out.

Best wishes to you.:7
 

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