Articles

Exercise for Healing

Born to Motivate

NOVA 7 Awards

Strength Training Program Achieves Excellence

Strength Training -
A New Dimension
in Cancer Care

Small Group
Training with
Tubing

Richard Peterson uses resistance bands to increase his strength.

EVER HAVE ONE OF THOSE MORNINGS WHEN YOUR GET OUT OF BED AND JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE EXERCISING? For people going through cancer treatments, that feeling can occur every day. Imagine, then, how surprising it is to witness an entire room of cancer survivors and people undergoing cancer treatment exercising their hearts out.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can take a toll on a person's body, rendering him or her weak and fatigued. But strange as it seems, exercise is exactly what the doctor orders to increase stamina and energy in cancer patients.

"Studies now show that a regular light exercise program has many benefits, including improving strength and reducing fatigue," says Kalust Ucar, M.D., a Glendale Memorial oncologist. "Through exercise, patients can become more functional and increase their quality of life. It can even help stimulate their appetite, which is vital for many cancer patients."

Dynamic Advantage trainer Brandon Flowers works with Wade Battley during the Exercise for Healing Class.

Wade Battley, who attends Glendale Memorial's Exercise for Healing class, has been fighting breast cancer for three-and-a-half years and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. The condition leaves her bones fragile. "Through this program, I've been able to gain strength, which is so important to protect my bones," says Wade. "I feel stronger and move things now with confidence."

Lolli Benton, a breast cancer survivor, felt rotten before she started exercising. "I was very lethargic. No energy. No strength," says Lolli. "I was desperate; I had tried everything I could think of on my own." Lolli heard about Glendale Memorial's class and decided to try it. Through exercise, she has gained strength, stamina, and balance, and doesn't rely on her walker anymore. "This class has done marvelous things for me," she says.

The Dynamic Advantage, a professional fitness team having extensive experience working with cancer patients, teaches Glendale Memorial's cancer exercise program. The twice- weekly workouts, called Dynamic Strength Training, involve resistance training using elastic tubing. Trainers help participants increase muscle strength and improve posture, balance, and strength. They also assure exercises are performed in a safe, effective manner. Students like the personal attention as well as the camaraderie and support. There are emotional benefits, too, including a sense of well-being, self-control of disease, and a positive attitude-key aspects of cancer recovery.

If you are currently undergoing or have completed cancer treatment, please join our free Exercise for Healing class. (Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.)

The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 to 11 a.m. in the Cancer Center Auditorium (222 W. Eulalia St.). Refreshments are provided. For more information, call (818) 502-2380.