Exercising More After Cancer Boosts Quality of Life By Merritt McKinney Study after study has shown that exercise improves quality of life in people who have survived cancer. Now, a new study suggests that improvements in quality of life are related more closely to whether cancer survivors maintain or increase their physical activity after treatment rather than on a particular amount of exercise. "It doesn't matter how much physical activity a cancer survivor engages in after they are diagnosed in terms of improving their quality of life," lead author Dr. Chris M. Blanchard of the University of Ottawa in Canada told Reuters Health. What's important, he said, is "the positive change they make to their physical activity after diagnosis." Blanchard's team studied the relationship between exercise and quality of life in 352 adults who had survived cancer. People who exercised at least half-an-hour three times a week had a significantly higher quality of life than less physically active cancer survivors, the researchers report in the November issue of the journal Preventive Medicine. The study also showed that people who maintained or increased their physical activity after cancer had a better quality of life than survivors who became less active. In fact, the change in physical activity was more strongly related to quality of life than survivors' overall amount of activity, according to the report. "So when it comes to promoting physical activity after a cancer diagnosis in terms of improving quality of life, we can promote that cancer survivors increase their physical activity," Blanchard said. It does not seem necessary to recommend a specific amount of exercise, he said. A person who does not exercise at all may be encouraged to exercise a couple of times a week, while it may be helpful for someone who exercises twice a week to add another session each week, he said. But Blanchard cautioned that the study looked at the relationship between changes in physical activity and quality of life, not the effect of exercise on the odds of cancer returning. "More specific amounts of physical activity may be needed in terms of preventing recurrence," he said. "This is a new area that is currently being explored." Blanchard and his colleagues also point out that more research is needed to confirm the findings. SOURCE: Preventive Medicine, November 2003. Thanks to Reuters Health Ann's NOTE: This is so great. It backs up what I wrote in 1995. Any and all 'exercise' is beneficial. No matter how tired you are, raise your arms over your head, kick out your feet - or wiggle them EVERY DAY. Then do more. It brings energy, blood and lymph around your body. Greg 'Bo' Bennett's story, 6/04 UPDATE 1/05 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.