Over the recent decades, the link between physical fitness and cancer has become abundantly clear. Two main points have become modern thought; those who are physically fit are less likely to develop cancer, and fit people often endure the rigors of cancer treatment more easily than those who are in poor shape. However, the strength
of this connection is still unknown, and doctors are not sure how best to
express the strength of this link. It also differs for different types of
cancer; the benefits between fitness and breast cancer treatment is far
different than the connection between fitness and mesothelioma treatment. Here
are a few facts about cancer and how fitness can help prevent, fight and
recover from it.

Fitness as a means of preventing cancer the connection between fitness and cancer is unambiguous, and doctors are beginning to advise those
concerned about developing cancer to begin regular exercise schedules. While
many assume that fitness is primarily a preventative measure because it fights
obesity, many studies have shown that the connection goes deeper. In needs to be mentioned, however, that the prophylactic effect that fitness has against cancer is relatively small; people should not expect that exercise guarantees that cancer will not form, unfortunately plenty of healthy people develop cancer.

Fitness as a means of preparing for cancer treatments another way that fitness
can help people deal with cancer is by preparing them for chemotherapy
treatments. Chemotherapy is incredibly difficult to deal with, and most people
find their energy levels dropping significantly throughout the course of treatment.
By staying in shape, people can give themselves a bit of a boost when the going
gets rough. Exercise has also been linked to better mental health, which can help
people fend off the depression and anxiety that often occurs during
chemotherapy treatments. In addition, many experts believe that people who are
in great shape will recover faster from chemotherapy treatments.

Fitness as a means of recovering from cancer recovering from cancer
generally involves recovering from chemotherapy, and people often take a
considerable amount of time before they feel back to normal. By slowly starting
to exercise, people may be able to accelerate the process of recovery and start
feeling better. In addition, exercise may be able to reduce the likelihood of
cancer occurring again. Because of this, doctors recommend that patients begin
the process of exercising soon after they leave the hospital, but it should be
noted that the early days of exercise will likely be minimal as recovery takes
time.

Reality: with all the research I could find, the one definitive answer is simply it depends. If you have never run before, pregnancy is not the time to start. You do not want to start training for your first 5K, a marathon or a triathlon. Your body is experiencing miraculous changes and now is not the time to add a new program to your training regimen.

If you have been running prior to getting pregnant, the first piece of advice is check with your OB. Make sure all systems are a go prior to running. You may need to cut back on your overall mileage or you may need to slow your pace. It is critical to make sure you are drinking LOTS of water so as to keep your body hydrated. During pregnancy you need more water than you typically would. I recommend looking into a very supportive sports bra for your everchanging breasts and be sure to have appropriate footwear. During your second trimester as your belly begins to grow you may notice you feel off balance as your center of gravity is changing. Stick to flat roads or even a track so as to be safe from slips and falls.

Important advice to follow while running is do not run to the point of exhaustion. Your body’s focus right now is the fetus and providing it with everything he or she may need! If you have any of the following signs immediately stop running and call your OB or midwife: vaginal bleeding, dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, contractions or swelling of the feet/ankles.

Remember this is not the time to set your Personal Record. Use your runs to escape from stress you may be feeling, energize a fatigued body and to MOVE. Many women enjoy running into their 7th and/or 8th month, but be smart. It’s not just about crossing the finish line, it’s enjoying the entire journey.

Reality: This recommendation on the guidelines of safe exercise during pregnancy was removed in 1994 as there is no scientific proof to substantiate it. Everyone does not have the same resting heart rate nor do people have the exact same heart rate while performing a certain exercise. For example, I could be running on the treadmill at a speed of 6 mph and my heart rate may be 152 bpm, and the person running next to me at 9 mph has the same heart rate of 152 bpm. My friend has the ability to do more work (run faster) yet our heart rates are identical.

When exercising the pregnant woman should refer to the RPE scale or rate of perceived exertion. Each day is different and something that was “easy” last week might feel brutal this week. Pay attention to signs of dizziness, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cramping and discontinue exercising if one of these symptoms occurs.

Gina discovered the realm of strength and metabolic training. Jumping in with both feet she started working out in this new way 3-4 days a week. The results were quick and dramatic. Changes in her shrinking waistline and leanness were clearly visible to all those around. Gina was already a relatively healthy eater so with the addition of weight and metabolic training she made these great changes( by the way, when I say weight training I don’t mean little 5lb weights, Gina used weights that were challenging and in many cases body weight exercises were some of the most challenging…. Think pull ups and push ups!). From these changes, Gina was hooked and she wanted to see if she could push the envelope a little further and continue the change. The next logical step was to analyze her diet and see how to tweak that. A few simple changes of limiting sugars and breads to increasing protein intake have taken her to the next level. Since this journey started back in Feb/March 2012 Gina has lost an astounding 7% of her body fat(that is a great deal for an already fit woman!), she is stronger and in much better health. She feels great but is ready for her next challenge. She is now starting to increase her cardio(just ran her first 5k this past weekend!!)

Needless to say we at Prime are very proud of Gina and are very grateful to have her as one of the Prime family. So proud, we made her our first employee and Gina now teaches a series of TRX based classes.

At the end of the day, we want everyone to recognize the importance of strength and metabolic training. Both types of training can be accomplished by people of any fitness level you just have to be ready to start and commit to making the change.

Myth 2: Resistance training during pregnancy can cause joint injuries.

Reality: resistance training, or strength training, is extremely safe during pregnancy barring you have received clearance from your healthcare provider. Resistance training has many benefits including increasing overall strength which aids in labor and delivery as well as carrying the extra baby weight that comes along with pregnancy.

Many women worry about joint integrity throughout pregnancy due to the release of the hormone relaxin which allows your joints to move and expand in preparation for an enlarged uterus and growing fetus as well as for delivery. According to a 2011 University of Georgia study the relaxin risk of injuring joints during strength training is theoretical. Again be safe and listen to your body. You may need to decrease your range of motion during certain exercises while working within a safe and effective ROM for that joint.

Myth #1: If you weren’t exercising before getting pregnant, now is NOT the time to start.

Reality: Now is the perfect time to start working towards a healthier lifestyle. First things first, make sure you check with your health care provider prior to beginning anything new and make sure you are cleared for exercise. Keep in mind, now is not the time to try to lose weight through exercise or dieting, don’t attempt to start a vigorous exercise program (I.e. training for your first marathon) and don’t set out to set your PR (personal record). Exercising during pregnancy should be used as a stress reliever, to make you feel better, and to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.

If you choose to start an exercise program or if you are continuing with your current program, make sure you are eating properly keeping in mind a typical pregnant woman only needs an additional 300 calories per day. You are not eating for two!! You also need to focus on water consumption and increase the amount of water you generally drink.

If you are brand new to exercise remember you can start with walking, swimming, light strength training and/or prenatal yoga. If you are new to strength training consider speaking with a certified personal trainer about safe and effective exercises to begin with. Remember to listen to your body! Only you know what feels ok. If you are exercising and experience any of the following stop and call your doctor: dizziness, feeling faint, chest pain, vaginal bleeding or any swelling or cramping.

The Mayo Clinic states exercise while pregnant helps a woman prepare for labor and delivery, may decrease back pain/discomfort; increase energy; decrease the risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and postpartum depression; and increased stamina and overall muscle strength.

This is a time for you to take care of yourself! Listen to your body and most of all enjoy every second of your journey.

I am lucky that I spend my life in sneakers and workout clothes, so I am not very accustomed to shopping in Neiman.  Despite this, I realize our wedding day is very important so I am stepping out of my comfort zone.   When I walked into the store, even getting someone to assist me took 10 minutes.  After wandering through the couture section and into “the galleria” I finally found where I was supposed to be.  I was assisted into the fitting room where a seamstress would be with my shortly.  For only the second time I slipped into my wedding gown, which I should inform you no one has seen me in the dress, and stood admiring myself in the mirror.  Soon after there was a knock on the door and in walked the seamstress.  As she walked around me, analyzing, the first words out of her mouth were “you have a very large round behind”.  I agreed and said unfortunately that wasn’t going away especially before August.  She began to touch my thighs asking what the lumps and bumps were.  I assume she was “admiring” my quadriceps that I have worked so hard in the gym developing.  Little did I know muscles are not acceptable when wearing a gown….we must “minimize and compress you”.  Within minutes the sales associate knocked on the door with various versions of Spanx and other compression materials.  I agreed to try one on that didn’t seem as if it would suffocate me for our August wedding.  Once I put the dress back on I was told how much better it was now that my “lumps and bumps” were smoothed out, minimized, and compressed.

I am by no means of the mindset that my body is perfect….in fact I’m not even sure what the perfect body is…..but I have become more and more comfortable in my own skin over the years as I realize that health, body composition, ease of movement, and strength are far more important than the number on a scale, but that experience shattered me.  Over the next 8 weeks before our wedding my goal is to rebuild my self confidence knowing that muscles are beautiful and I would much rather be FIT than skinny.

The first Friday of May every year is the annual Golf for Hope tournament that Lodey and I have played in for the past 5 years in support of the National Brain Tumor Society. It is our big event we use to kick off the golf season and for me to honor my mom. The tourney always means a great deal to us. That became Lodey’s target. He was going to do all he could to get himself in position to be able to play. With the help of a great doc and an awesome physical therapist Lodey was given all the tools he needed to succeed. All he needed was the desire to get better…and let me tell you, he had it!

Surgery was a success and Lodey made it through the ever so boring and painful, first couple weeks of no movement and rest. Once the cast came off and the therapy began, Lodey was a man possessed. What I got to witness next was one man’s desire to beat the numbers and get himself healthy. You would have thought Lodey was prepping for a large Pro athlete contract, but really it was his desire to return to normalcy and of course.. play some golf.

He dedicated himself to his therapy sessions and he was an absolute stickler about his homework. The swelling came down quick and ease of movement and range of motion returned at a quick pace. So quick, he was shocking the doctor and his therapist. It did not surprise me though. We are going on over 20 years of knowing each other and I knew he was going to kick this injury in its ass! Towards the middle of the process, Lodey returned to Prime to begin work on the uninjured side to help keep him balanced and loose. I was blown away at what I saw. His movement, his swelling and his attitude were amazing! Sure enough, Lodey got the all clear to return to golf during the last week of April. He got out and tested the waters and came back with quite a happy outcome. Lodey got himself back to as normal as possible and was able to participate in the Golf tourney (I think we came in 5th..dernit!) Lets also throw out there that one week later we won a tournament!

I wanted to write this blog about Lodey to talk about the consistency of desire. I know its cliched but if you have the desire you can make anything happen. Lodey’s desire for normalcy and a return to the sport he loves were great motivators to make great changes. Consistency was the key that kept the progress happening so quick, but that consistency was driven by desire!

I am now coming to YOU, my clients and friends, to find out what advice you may have to fight my nightly ice cream craving….you have all made fantastic progress over the last 6 months and I couldn’t be more proud.  How are you finding balance between a little self indulgence, eating well, and exercising?  Are you setting daily, weekly or monthly goals?  Please share your success stories!