Getting Back Into Exercise After Cancer Part 1

Each day in both my professional and personal life I get questions about exercise, cancer, and exercise post cancer and during active treatment.  Not only does cancer change your body, but the surgery, chemo, and radiation you have change it as well. So where do you start after months or maybe even years of losing your normal work out routine?  Where do you start if you've never had a work out routine? How do you deal with the neuropathy? How do you deal with the weakness of muscles?  The lack of energy and motivation? How do you even start to have a somewhat normal life?

Cancer changes your whole body and one of the biggest side effects is exhaustion. A lot of times people feel defeated, especially when they were super active before the cancer.  I'm here to tell you that it is perfectly OK to feel defeated.  It is ok to be angry. And you know the perfect place to start getting back in an exercise routine? Start by expressing your feelings about the cancer and how it changed your life.

I could tell you all the benefits of exercise in this first post, but I won't. What I am going to tell you is two things.

1. Get out a journal and write down every feeling you have towards the cancer that overtook your body and changed your life and body forever. Be honest. Recognize the battles you are facing. Truly let your emotions out.

2. Start by taking a walk each day to start to process everything and get your body moving a little.  I don't care if your walk is 3 minutes long. If you walked, it is a start.

Don't try and conquer the world in one day, this will be a process, but I promise you, the benefits will be with it!

You my friend, are a warrior!