By Gabe Sanders PhD, NSCA-CSCS
Gynecologic cancers are more frequently known as cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. Women diagnosed with these cancers, as with other cancer diagnoses in general, experience stress or various degrees of psychological trauma or post-traumatic stress. Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress can experience a strong sense of fear and worry.
On the other hand, after a cancer diagnosis, some people emit positive feelings such as strength and courage. The term post-traumatic growth refers to these positive changes that occur with cancer diagnosis and these patients tend to have a heightened appreciation for life.
While it is completely understandable that people deal and cope with circumstances differently, there are some researchers that believe exercise may help with the psychosocial aspects of a cancer diagnosis. The purpose of some recent research is not to assess if exercise cures or helps gynecological cancer, but to find out if exercise does indeed improve a patient’s outlook on their cancer diagnosis.
Exercise improves patient’s outlook-post-traumatic growth
The American College of Sports Medicine and the Center for Disease Control recommend these exercise guidelines. It is best to engage in about 2-3 days of strength training and 5 or more days of aerobic exercise. Engaging in both forms of exercise seems to be the best when improving post-traumatic growth among gynecological cancer patients.
Recent research assessed post-traumatic growth in 621 survivors of gynecologic cancer and found that those who reported engaging in both strength training and aerobic exercise reported a significantly greater outlook or appreciation for life.
These results are encouraging for patients with cancer or surviving from cancer. Many times, exercise itself, is not the cure, however, it can make a big difference towards improving the way a person feels towards their quality of life and their overall body image.
Sometimes, many older adults or individuals with cancer/ diseases may overlook the strength-training component, but there is truly something empowering about lifting weights and feeling stronger. To meet the guidelines for strength training, engage in 20-30 minutes on 2-3 days per week. Machine strength equipment may be the most ideal if you have not exercised in a while. Always be sure to check with your physician and trainer to create an ideal workout regimen tailored to your specific goals and abilities.
*For more examples of other variations/exercises look under Multimedia-VDF Exercise Tips
**Consult with a physician and/or medical healthcare provider before starting any exercise regimen
Article’s Resources
Crawford JJ, Vallance JK, Holt NL, Courneya KS. Associations between exercise and posttraumatic growth in gynecologic cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2015, 23:705-714.
Peel AB, Barlow CE, Leonard D, DeFina LF, Jones LW Lakoski SG. Cardiorespiratory fitness in survivors of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers: The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Gynecologic Oncology. 2015. 138 (2): 394-397