Exercise: Cancer Prevention and Surgery Recovery

What’s the connection between exercise and cancer prevention?

Exercise reduces the risk of so many cancers; colon cancer, breast cancer, endometrial, prostate and maybe even lung cancer. Because of this, the CDC actually recommends moderate intensity activity for at least 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week. We know that, specifically for colon and breast cancer, exercise drops the cancer risk significantly.  With breast cancer we found that activity over a lifetime starting in adolescence is actually the best thing, but we certainly don’t want to discourage older women from starting to exercise. We know that exercise, even later in life, reduces that risk.  For women who have breast cancer, exercise improves long-term prognosis and helps reduce treatment-related side effects.

What is the impact of exercise on our bodies in general?

Exercise is good for you in so many ways.  Again, it reduces cancer risks probably by reducing body fat, although I think there are a lot more complex mechanisms involved as well.  It helps us maintain or lose weight. It reduces heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which is important because heart disease is a bigger killer for women than breast cancer. It strengthen bones, it improves energy level and mood.  Interestingly, people who are overweight and obese get these benefits as well, so even if you’re not losing weight with exercise, exercise is still good for you.

What type of exercise, if I’m a beginner or coming back from surgery?

For people coming back to exercise after surgery, even if they exercised before, they really need to get their surgeon’s clearance.  As a breast surgeon, I take care of women who are having lumpectomies and mastectomies.  Women who have a mastectomy with reconstruction usually take it easy for about a month, although many surgeons will allow or encourage moderate activity like walking. With lumpectomies, women come back from surgery much quicker in terms of exercise.

For people who are just starting exercise, I would recommend taking it slow. It helps avoid injury and reduces the risk of getting overwhelmed and discouraged. When you’re new to it, it can be hard and frustrating. I think starting small, maybe taking a walk a day, and build up from there. With a little time and being regular about it, your body will let you go longer and faster as it gets used to that activity.  

How can you keep exercise fun?

There are a couple of different ways to look at it. First of all, it needs to be something people enjoy most of the time.  Exercise isn’t always fun.  It’s like brushing your teeth – we need to stop looking at it as a hobby and more as something we really need to do for our health. It really should be non-negotiable. It should also be something that’s accessible in terms of convenience and costs. Walking is easiest – almost anyone can do it, almost anywhere.  All you need is a pair of shoes. I have patients who like to go dancing, you can take your kids or grandkids on a bike ride, you can pull weeds in the garden, do water aerobics.  Yoga is incredibly accessible for people as well. I think a lot of people are intimidated, but there are good videos that you can try to do at home.  I learned that I won’t work out if I stop at home after work – I’m too comfortable at home to leave the house again, so I pack all my clothes in the car with me and stop at the park for a run before I relax at home.  I have friends that I run with – our big group runs are on Sunday and we go out to brunch afterwards.  It makes it a social activity and keeps us coming back every week.