English Community

• What helps you feel your best?
• Is there a type of movement or wellness activity you enjoy?
• How do you support your physical or emotional well-being?

Hi @mfallis_OCC ... thank you for sharing. As @LeslieA even pointed out from a recent post from her attendance at the OCC conference, health and fitness are such an important part of our cancer journey's.

 For me walking tends to make me feel best. I have perpetual lower back issues and I find that walking is one thing that helps plus I know it's beneficial for so many other reasons. Leading up to my surgery, then recovery, going through chemo, recovery and transition onto the maintenance drug, I lost so much muscle tone and fitness motivation. Plus the loss of estrogen from debulking surgery has helped contribute to a lot of weight gain. It has taken me almost two years to get back into a solid routine, including weights and cardio. I tend to put more emphasis on weights now. They are so important for 'bone health'. I incorporate an hour of weights 3x a week alternating between full body, upper body and lower body over that time. I also try to do 30 minutes of cardio (mainly walking), each day. I started an 'Exercise Accountability" post awhile ago. That group has been a great motivator for me. Plus, having a 3 year old granddaughter with more energy than the sun is a tremendous motivator.

My tips for folks...all movement is good movement. Don't expect to be perfect on day one. Set small achievable goals. Slowly build upon those goals over the course of a few weeks. You may have setbacks e.g., not feeling great one day. Don't fret. Just start up again the next day or when you are feeling great. Also, keep track of your activity. It's amazing when you write things down how it can remind you of what you've accomplished AND be a motivator.

#Healthandwellness

Many years before my diagnosis in 2024, I attended all kinds of fitness classes (Pilates, yoga, dance, TRX, HIIT, Pound, strength training, etc.). The group experience kept me motivated because I knew I wouldn't exercise properly at home. It was also social and a great stress reliever, because I had a stressful job working in child abuse. I needed that release. 

After my diagnosis of stage 3-c HGSC, I was very sick as you can imagine. But from all the reading I had done, I knew that I had to move my body in some way to get through chemo and surgery, so I walked a little every day. Sometimes up the road and back; other times around the block. I found that those little walks eased my frightened mind and no doubt helped flush the chemo out of my system a little faster. Now that I am in a "well phase", I am intent on rebuilding the muscle tone I lost in sickness through strength-training classes. We lose muscle mass through the aging process anyway, but building some of it back can be very beneficial for health no matter what we are going through. Muscle supports bone health too. It doesn't have to be hard-core with barbells and plates; it can be any form of resistance such as using bands to build arm and leg strength. I use Arena Bands, which I bought online. It can even be soup cans. Inspirehealth offers online exercise classes for cancer survivors; it is gentle and supportive. I used it to get back to movement until I could attend classes at my gym again. 

I try to walk everyday too. I have a Golden Retriever who must be walked daily, so that motivates me to keep moving. I also rest everyday, with a lie down on the bed for about an hour. Sometimes I listen to a podcast, read or snooze. I find that helpful too.