Suzanne Aberly has long exercised. But when she found out she had breast cancer in 2003, working out wasn't paramount on her mind.
"Paramount was getting my food down," says Aberly, 73. "I didn't exercise for quite awhile. You're too weak, too tired. You're happy you can get out of bed. As you grow stronger and feel more like yourself, you'll go back to the things that made you happy and made you feel good."
Research reflects what she says, and for reasons even more substantive than feeling better: Namely, it can help people live longer.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute recently looked at 45 studies regarding physical activity among cancer patients. Virtually all of them showed a relationship between physical activity and a decreased risk of cancer-related mortality as well as death from all causes.
In April, the American Cancer Society, echoing the National College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for all Americans, came out with recommendations for cancer patients: 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Though cancer patients often lose weight, breast-cancer patients tend to gain it, says Amy Schisler, regional spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, so exercise is especially important to them.
"It's the type of chemo they get," she says, "and they often get breast cancer when they're over 40 and experiencing menopause. At higher weight, they tend to be at a higher risk for cancer returning.
"Exercise helps keep them from gaining weight. When you gain weight, you get depressed."
Exercise - most specifically, Pilates - "works for me," says Aberly, especially dealing with her lymphedema. The often-painful blockage and swelling of the lymph nodes can occur even years after breast cancer surgery.
"I've taken Pilates off and on for 20 years," says Aberly. "It strengthens my core muscles and back, and seems to be benefiting the more I do it."
