Real Fitness Blog

Guest Post: Fitness Tips for Cancer Patients

Steve McMinn, RKC — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:52:38 +0000

A guest post from Liz Davies:

It is essential to stay active when dealing with cancer. It may also be one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish on a regular basis due to the side effects of treatment or the limiting aspects of the disease itself.

There are a few things to consider when approaching exercise as a cancer patient.

Be aware of your limits, accept that you may not be able to run a mile like you previously were able to.
Fatigue is a large part of having and treating the disease.
There are going to be days that you simply do not want to exercise.
The key is to plan around these issues and create built in methods of encouragement to keep participating in daily activity.

You may find that there is a certain time of day that you seem to have more energy. Keep this in mind and plan to go for a walk, work in the garden, or go shopping. Exercise does not mean that you are required to go to a gym.

Provide multiple methods of activity to indulge in. On days that are good, and energy is high, participate in more rigorous activity like a good jog or lifting weights. The days that are difficult to get out of bed, plan for easier activities, consider stretching, yoga, or Tai Chi.

Start with small goals, then extend if still feeling well enough to continue. For example, set the goal of 15 minutes of planned activity a day. If it is a good day and the 15 minutes is completed, continue exercising if able to.

Plan to participate in something that brings enjoyment or interest, this will encourage participation.

• Walk on trails rather than on the neighborhood streets
• Go to a park or a dog park
• Volunteer with a school
• Participate in arts and crafts or gardening
• Take a class to learn yoga or tai chi
• Visit a museum, art gallery, or mall

Invite friends or family members to participate in the exercise. This is a great bonding experience and makes the time pass more rapidly. It also offers encouragement to continue the effort.

Physical activity is important for people suffering from all types of cancer, including breast cancer, bladder cancer and even rare types like peritoneal mesothelioma. Discuss with your physician the right activity level for your current health. While regular exercise is an excellent method to manage stress and boost the immune system, too much can cause unwanted complications.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.

38th Birthday Feat of Strength!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:48:00 +0000

My 380lb Deadlift on my 38th Birthday.
Strongest I have ever been!

The Secret to Optimal Health!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:50:00 +0000

Is really no secret at all: Simply put, it’s EXERCISE!

All of the current research shows incredible and life-changing results can come from only 30-minutes of movement per day.

Imagine how much more you’d get out of increasing that with healthy eating and an even more active lifestyle!

Take 9-minutes and nineteen seconds to watch this entertaining and informative video from Doctor Mike Evans, then ask yourself if you can limit your sitting and sleeping to just 23.5 hours a day?

Coffee is good for most of you!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:45:27 +0000

A great article on the latest coffee research.

Drink up, the majority who are tolerant of caffeine!

http://www.ericcressey.com/coffee-consumption-and-health-1

A must-watch video on spine health!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:27:52 +0000

A lot we think we know about the spine in exercise and movement has been proven to be wrong!

The world's leading expert on spine health, Dr. Stuart McGill from the University of Waterloo, explains the latest results in spinal-health research and what to do to keep your back healthy for life.

This may be one of the most valuable four minutes and ten seconds you ever spend!

Life Is Not A Rehearsal - Being Thankful

Steve McMinn, RKC — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:35:01 +0000

The Buddha said it best:

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.”

I was thinking about this during my workout this morning. Our Strength In Numbers studio is next door to a physiotherapy office that specializes in rehab for people with serious neurological and physical disabilities. Every day as I work and train, I see their patients being dropped off by Handy Dart bus or a family member. I also get to see them tentatively walking by our window, assisted by a physio, learning how to walk again. The fact they come week by week and month by month, fighting to restore their lost mobility is a huge inspiration to me and our clients at the gym. In fact, I think it makes us all work a little harder knowing we have a greater ability to do so!

The other day, I had the pleasure of chatting to one of their clients, a woman who is recovering from a severe stroke. She was told she would never walk again, but said she told them there was no way that was gonna happen! It did not, as when I met her she was already walking to her physio appointments. Our conversation ended with her telling me she plans to come to one of our classes sometime in the future : ) That made my day!

So remember, if you are ever feeling down about your lot in life, there is someone out there who is in a lot worse shape, and despite the odds, fighting to make things better for themselves.

Now get out there and do something to improve YOUR life!

Why Starting An Exercise Program Is So Hard, Or: How To Stop Worrying And Learn To Love The Burn

Steve McMinn, RKC — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:17:41 +0000

I was riding my bike home from the bank the other day, and had to speed up to pass a UPS truck before the car behind me got there. Of course, this quick extra effort caused my legs to flood with lactic-acid and burn a bit. This feeling is so common to me that I’m seldom aware of it, but right at that moment I began thinking of a friend who has wanted to start exercising for at least the past ten years but has never made it past the first one or two workouts.

The reason is always the same; starting a workout program after years or even months of inactivity invariably results in some serious and very unfamiliar discomfort and often a little pain. When the most effort you exert is the occasional run for the bus or that hike you were fooled into taking, the mind equates exercise with a phenomenal effort and the resulting pain & struggle. I believe part of the the key for breaking this barrier is understanding the exact reason why your muscles burn and how, with a little bit of stick-to-it-ness, you can get past it and on to a higher quality of life, and maybe even a much longer one!

The ‘burn’ you feel in your muscles during exercise, especially at the very start, and any time the intensity is raised (eg going up a hill) is caused by the acidity from the accumulation of Lactic Acid. You see, during these periods of your workout, the body’s supply of oxygen outstrips the demand and there is not enough of it to be converted into energy. The Lactic Acid is an essential product of the chemical process within your muscles that provides energy in the absence of oxygen. The excess Lactic Acid is cleared from your muscles within seconds of stopping the exercise, or when you reach a steady state again (eg flat section of the road).

The great part is, the more you exercise and the fitter you get, the better your body gets at buffering the Lactic Acid and thus the pain lasts for less time. Of course, you will also eventually end up working out harder and having the same level of burn (with increased performance!) but you'll understand what it is by then, and knowing it goes away quickly, push through to new levels of fitness!

Stay tuned, my next post will explain why your muscles hurt one or two days AFTER exercise and what you can do to ease the soreness and keep getting fitter and stronger!

Seven steps for living to one hundred!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:42:02 +0000

‎"Achieving these seven simple lifestyle factors gives people a 90% chance of living to the age of 90 or 100, free of not only heart disease and stroke but from a number of other chronic illnesses including cancer."

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/21/7-steps-to-live-to-100

Turkish Getup - Real-Life Application!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:52:48 +0000

Trapped under rubble, your abdominals are just not strong enough to get you out... Good thing you know the Turkish Getup!!!

Steve's Fat-Loss Challenge... Week 7!

Steve McMinn, RKC — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Welcome to week 7 of Steve's Fat-Loss Challenge. Next week is when we do more weigh-ins, so get ready for the fat-loss to top 50lbs total!

Click here to read the article!