Exercise during cancer treatment is one of the most powerful ways to aid in recovery and get better faster. Exercise oncology is an emerging field when it comes to treating cancer, but the results are nothing short of incredible!

Karen Wonders, PhD of the Maple Tree Cancer Alliance is on a mission to help patients work out during cancer treatment because it helps with every aspect of their recovery. The problem is, most oncologists aren’t prescribing it and most cancer patients don’t even know exercising with cancer is an option.

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That’s where MTCA comes in! They specialize in helping people with cancer improve their quality of life by providing free individualized exercise training and nutrition counseling. Patients can utilize these services during treatment and in remission (because they still deal with the effects, even in remission) and exercise can help alleviate those cancer symptoms.

“If you were to take the benefits of exercise and put them in a pill, it would be a miracle drug.”

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise during an intense illness, especially when rest is so heavily promoted as part of treatment, but the science shows major benefits of maintaining fitness during cancer treatment. If you’ve ever heard that increased blood flow will spread cancer cells, rest assured that this is NOT true! In fact, if you look at all of the negative side effects of cancer, exercise helps to relieve every single one of them. 

Let’s talk about two of the big symptoms.

Fatigue: this is a BIG one. Fatigue during cancer treatment is different from feeling exhausted. This is a consuming whole-body fatigue that makes even the simplest tasks (like eating) seem impossible. But the good news is, research shows that activity, even a 5-minute walk, can boost your energy levels. 

Cardiotoxicity: when the chemotherapy drugs get into your system, they enlarge the heart (we’re talking about a disease state) and it loses its pumping effectiveness. Exercise strengthens the heart and makes it as though the heart had never been exposed to chemotherapy!

Other benefits of exercise during cancer treatment include:

  • improved muscular strength

  • improved pulmonary function

  • improved kidney function

  • improved liver function

  • decreased depression & anxiety 

  • improved sleep

A cancer diagnosis can feel completely overwhelming, so if that’s where you are right now, just remember Maple Tree’s motto: something is always better than nothing.

Can’t cancer patients just work out on their own?

Exercise Oncology isn’t a regular workout regimen. You won’t see high-intensity interval workouts or heavy strength training. This is a program unique to the individual—it’s a very individualized, customized approach. Within exercise oncology, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. MTCA has broken it down into different phases to use as a guide when creating customized plans for each patient.

The Phases of Cancer Treatment

These phases help determine where each patient is in their recovery. A fitness test is done at the beginning and end of each phase. 

Phase 1: The patient is undergoing intense treatment like chemo or radiation (or both). Fatigue and nausea are prominent issues. Immune function is prioritized, lowering exercise intensity when necessary. 

Phase 2: The patient has completed chemo/radiation (or didn’t need it). A little higher intensity. The goal is to increase strength and help them maintain a normal life (as much as possible).

Phase 3: By the end of Phase 3, the goal is to be in an apparently healthy status (in other words, in remission from cancer).

Phase 4: The patient is in remission. They receive one-on-one personal training with the goal of staying in remission (for many types of cancers, the more active you are during remission, the more likely you are to stay in remission).

Nutrition

There’s a frustrating lack of nutritional direction in the oncology world. Some oncologists tell their patients to eat whatever they want—including junk food! Here at the FASTer Way (and at Maple Tree!) we believe nutrition is key to any healthy lifestyle. We completely agree with Karen Wonders, who said in our interview, “FOOD IS MEDICINE.”

Karen believes in whole-food nutrition, Intermittent Fasting, and a plant-based lifestyle. There are so many benefits when patients adopt a vegan diet and eliminate sugar and processed food!

Intermittent Fasting and Cancer

Many cancer patients want to know if they can practice Intermittent Fasting while undergoing cancer treatment. While research in the cancer population is limited, all the research so far is very positive! Listen to your body, but don’t be afraid to try Intermittent Fasting (while making sure to fuel properly!),

How to approach loved ones who have been diagnosed with cancer

This can be tricky because everyone is different. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, there are some good guidelines to follow when trying to support a loved one after their cancer diagnosis.

What should we say and what should we NOT say?

You know your loved one, do your best to read the person. If they’re open and asking questions and want help, then help! If they don’t want your opinion, only offer help if it’s asked. Be ready to share, but don’t further burden them with information they aren’t ready for—or don’t need or want.

Cancer can feel overwhelming so offer your loved one some quick wins. 

These quick wins may include: 

  • scheduling a walk with them 

  • arranging for meal delivery

  • encouraging them with a quick text

  • helping when you can—do they have young kids you can watch? 

  • withholding opinions if they don’t want/aren’t ready for them

  • creating a care package (fluffy blanket, fuzzy socks, etc.)

Resources you *may* consider passing onto loved ones battling cancer:

Want to do more to help individuals with cancer? Become a Certified Maple Tree Exercise Oncology Instructor! This certification is for those with:

  • a current NCCA-accredited fitness professional certification

  • or a college degree in a health-related field

  • or you’re in your final semester of course work for a health-related college degree

If you are a FASTer Way to Fat Loss Certified Coach, you are eligible for an exclusive discount with the code fasterway.

Less than 5% of cancer patients are exercising, but Maple tree is on a mission to make exercise part of the standard of care for cancer. They’re growing quickly with 17 current locations and about 20 more planned in 2020! Please check the map for current locations.

Find Maple Tree Cancer Alliance online:

If you’d like to assist more patients in receiving cancer exercise care, please consider donating through the Maple Tree website! 

Learn more about Intermittent Fasting: