The role of physical activity in the fight against breast cancer
Why does physical activity play an important role in the fight against breast cancer?
"I know I should exercise, but I'm too tired". This is the argument very often mentioned by many patients suffering from a disease such as breast cancer.
Up to 90% of breast cancer patients report some degree of fatigue. This exhaustion is normal, considering how much your body fights to heal itself. Exhaustion can have physical causes, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but it can also have emotional causes, such as stress and worry.
But whatever the reason, physical activity can play an important role in the fight against breast cancer.
Physical activity gives you more energy
Physical activity in any form supplies oxygen to the muscles. This is true whether the exercises are aerobic (resulting in an increased pulse rate over a prolonged period), anaerobic (assuming weight lifting) or isometric (consisting of stretching movements, yoga, breathing exercises, etc.).
All these exercises contribute to the elimination of waste products from the body, as they provide fresh oxygen and nutrients, circulation is essential for the health of the tissues.