It is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” so let’s focus on the benefits of exercise. Studies have shown that there is a reduction in mortality and recurrence for those who participate in regular exercise.
The problem is that despite this, too many breast cancer patients don’t keep active. Sometimes it is for physical reasons, the toll of treatment on the body and feeling tired. Other times it is emotional, just not having the motivation to get moving.
This is where supervised exercise programs can help, which many hospitals and medical centers offer. The problem is that once the program has ended, many of the survivors stop exercising.
A recent clinical trial looked at factors that help breast cancer patients to continue exercising, even after a supervised program has ended. However, this may also apply to any patient, whether or not she was involved in such a program.
Fatigue is the biggest reason that women don’t exercise or stop. But those with higher self-efficacy tend to keep going.
Self-efficacy is a personal belief in oneself to accomplish something. So those women, who believe in their ability to press through the fatigue, were more likely to succeed.
This sounds like something you can’t control. You can’t help how you feel or what you believe, right? Not necessarily.
One of the ways that self-efficacy can be strengthened is through the support of family and friends. This means breast cancer survivors turning to others or someone being willing to step out and outwardly show their support and encouragement.
Self-efficacy can also be strengthened by recognizing the obstacles that stand in the way and then coming up with strategies to overcome them. Doctors may be of help in this way.
The point is that if you are a breast cancer survivor, it’s important to find resources that can help you start up or continue a fitness regime. And if you know someone who has survived breast cancer, then it’s your opportunity to be their cheerleader.
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Photo by merfam in Flickr