Hey pink ladies There seems to be so much contraversy about exercise and cancer I am finding at the moment. Between the media and freinds and family I am a bit bamboozled. Do you exercise or do you rest. I know which one is probably better for you BUT if you find it is just a mammoth task to get out of bed let alone have a shower etc. etc. how are you meant to fight the fatigue to get out there and exercise. What sort of exercise, when, for how long to exercise, when is it good for you, when is it bad, should you just push through the pain and fatigue barriers to get yourself out there and exercise. There is so much guilt already with no working, not earning, not keeping the house in the way it is accustomed to being kept and then on top of it you are made to feel guilty because you can't get out their and exercise. Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated as I am sure I am not the only one going through this dilemma as they go through their treatment. Mich x

You are still having chemo aren't you? Darl,just do what you feel like.We all react differently to chemo and also some days are way worse than other days. When I was having chemo I would try and do one or 2 things around the house and on bad days it was doona time! I have my daughter and her fiance living with us while they build. They are forever going to the gym but I reckon I did a bigger workout for an hour scrubbing their filthy shower/bathroom!! Do a small walk and see how you feel. Only you know what your body feels up to and you will get your energy back a few months after it's all finished.Go easy on yourself. love Tonya xx

When I am feeling OK, I try to go for a short walk (around the block or similar) but at present (2nd chemo was on Monday with mild Low hemoglobing before I began), I am having REALLY BAD fatigue, I am fighting to get out of bed and go to the Loo, so going for a walk is just WAY beyond me, So I am not sweating it, when I start to feel a bit better, I will go for a walk, until then I will rest and relax and sleep/ nap until I am up to doing more. I don;t even have the energy to want to eat (although I am forcing myself), I have decided that if I am still this bad tomorrow I will call my chemo nurses/ breast nurse or oncologist and see what I can do to help it (maybe I need iron suppliments or something to help the low hemoglobin as this HAS to be adding to the post chemo fatigue I get anyway), but until then, rest, rest, rest and I REFUSE to feel guilty about it. IF this is what my body wants, the is what my body will get. Good Luck to you and to finding a balance that is right for YOU. It is so HARD as like you said the information is conflicting and we are ALL so different, we all react differently to our treatments (our chemo meds are different, our bodies are different, our cancers care different, our genetics are different, our pre cancer fitness levels are different and so on and so forth), so I can't see how there can be a one size fits all answer. I say, do what seems right for you - if you go for a short walk - to your mailbox and that is fine, maybe try a little farther. If you get to the end of the street (and remember you have to walk the same distance to get back) and you feel fine, maybe try to go a bit further. I do recommend you carry your mobile phone with you though, so if it is too much you can call someone to pick you up in a car (even if it is form the end of the street or from 2 doors down), My hubby demands that i keep a phone with my if he is not in seeing/ hearing distance from me - JUST IN CASE, so I can call him, if I need assistance (we have walkie talkies for at home <LOL> as he is working in the garage a lot building our 4x4 motorhome. Good luck with find a balance for yourself (I KNOW it is a hard one).

Hi Annie Thank you so much for your greatly appreciated reply. I am so glad there is going to be an information resource on exercise in the future as I am sure, as you say so many people must be asking the same questions. I know it isn't going to assist me right now but if I can asist in helping some others further down the track then I have helped to do a good thing. The more aware we can all become about breast cancer, it's side effects and treatment of them and all the other physical and emotional issues we endure along the way and to also have the knowledge on how to deal with these issues the better for all concerned. Unfortunately I live in a rural area and the closest main centre is 65+ klms away. I did do as you suggested and looked at the directory but unfortunately the only thing available is Womens Health Resource Centre and it is this distance away from me. I have also been invited to join an Encore program through the Cancer Council but again it is this distance away. I so would love to be a part of these things but as I struggle to get out of bed at the moment it is too hard to drive this distance. Unfortunately as I have learnt this is one of the major downfalls in living in the country away from the "big smoke". Thank you for your support and taking the time to reply, much appreciated. I just hope as time goes on this cycle I get more energy to even get out there and do a little bit. Fatigue is probably one of the hardest things I am dealing with besides the loss of my hair and going out in public. Mich xo

TO EXERCISE OR NOT TO EXERCISE | BCNA Online Network

45 Replies

Shazinoz
Member
14 years ago
When I am feeling OK, I try to go for a short walk (around the block or similar) but at present (2nd chemo was on Monday with mild Low hemoglobing before I began), I am having REALLY BAD fatigue, I am fighting to get out of bed and go to the Loo, so going for a walk is just WAY beyond me, So I am not sweating it, when I start to feel a bit better, I will go for a walk, until then I will rest and relax and sleep/ nap until I am up to doing more.

I don;t even have the energy to want to eat (although I am forcing myself), I have decided that if I am still this bad tomorrow I will call my chemo nurses/ breast nurse or oncologist and see what I can do to help it (maybe I need iron suppliments or something to help the low hemoglobin as this HAS to be adding to the post chemo fatigue I get anyway), but until then, rest, rest, rest and I REFUSE to feel guilty about it. IF this is what my body wants, the is what my body will get.

Good Luck to you and to finding a balance that is right for YOU. It is so HARD as like you said the information is conflicting and we are ALL so different, we all react differently to our treatments (our chemo meds are different, our bodies are different, our cancers care different, our genetics are different, our pre cancer fitness levels are different and so on and so forth), so I can't see how there can be a one size fits all answer.

I say, do what seems right for you - if you go for a short walk - to your mailbox and that is fine, maybe try a little farther. If you get to the end of the street (and remember you have to walk the same distance to get back) and you feel fine, maybe try to go a bit further.

I do recommend you carry your mobile phone with you though, so if it is too much you can call someone to pick you up in a car (even if it is form the end of the street or from 2 doors down), My hubby demands that i keep a phone with my if he is not in seeing/ hearing distance from me - JUST IN CASE, so I can call him, if I need assistance (we have walkie talkies for at home <LOL> as he is working in the garage a lot building our 4x4 motorhome.

Good luck with find a balance for yourself (I KNOW it is a hard one).
Shazinoz
Member
14 years ago
When I am feeling OK, I try to go for a short walk (around the block or similar) but at present (2nd chemo was on Monday with mild Low hemoglobing before I began), I am having REALLY BAD fatigue, I am fighting to get out of bed and go to the Loo, so going for a walk is just WAY beyond me, So I am not sweating it, when I start to feel a bit better, I will go for a walk, until then I will rest and relax and sleep/ nap until I am up to doing more.

I don;t even have the energy to want to eat (although I am forcing myself), I have decided that if I am still this bad tomorrow I will call my chemo nurses/ breast nurse or oncologist and see what I can do to help it (maybe I need iron suppliments or something to help the low hemoglobin as this HAS to be adding to the post chemo fatigue I get anyway), but until then, rest, rest, rest and I REFUSE to feel guilty about it. IF this is what my body wants, the is what my body will get.

Good Luck to you and to finding a balance that is right for YOU. It is so HARD as like you said the information is conflicting and we are ALL so different, we all react differently to our treatments (our chemo meds are different, our bodies are different, our cancers care different, our genetics are different, our pre cancer fitness levels are different and so on and so forth), so I can't see how there can be a one size fits all answer.

I say, do what seems right for you - if you go for a short walk - to your mailbox and that is fine, maybe try a little farther. If you get to the end of the street (and remember you have to walk the same distance to get back) and you feel fine, maybe try to go a bit further.

I do recommend you carry your mobile phone with you though, so if it is too much you can call someone to pick you up in a car (even if it is form the end of the street or from 2 doors down), My hubby demands that i keep a phone with my if he is not in seeing/ hearing distance from me - JUST IN CASE, so I can call him, if I need assistance (we have walkie talkies for at home <LOL> as he is working in the garage a lot building our 4x4 motorhome.

Good luck with find a balance for yourself (I KNOW it is a hard one).
TonyaM
Member
14 years ago
You are still having chemo aren't you? Darl,just do what you feel like.We all react differently to chemo and also some days are way worse than other days. When I was having chemo I would try and do one or 2 things around the house and on bad days it was doona time! I have my daughter and her fiance living with us while they build. They are forever going to the gym but I reckon I did a bigger workout for an hour scrubbing their filthy shower/bathroom!! Do a small walk and see how you feel. Only you know what your body feels up to and you will get your energy back a few months after it's all finished.Go easy on yourself.

love Tonya xx
TonyaM
Member
14 years ago
You are still having chemo aren't you? Darl,just do what you feel like.We all react differently to chemo and also some days are way worse than other days. When I was having chemo I would try and do one or 2 things around the house and on bad days it was doona time! I have my daughter and her fiance living with us while they build. They are forever going to the gym but I reckon I did a bigger workout for an hour scrubbing their filthy shower/bathroom!! Do a small walk and see how you feel. Only you know what your body feels up to and you will get your energy back a few months after it's all finished.Go easy on yourself.

love Tonya xx

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