Rest is no longer the best recipe for cancer

‘Rest is no longer the best recipe for cancer’

Cancer Wellfit programme, starts April 6th free at Club Physical gyms.

Last week in USA I had the opportunity to meet with Amy Litterini, PT, DPT, Director, Cancer Wellness Services, Centre for Cancer Care at Exeter Hospital, California and Paula Lilly of the Cancer Wellfit programme in USA.

Litterini said “Rest is no longer the best recipe for cancer patients. Fatigue is the number one complaint, and then comes pain. But experience has shown that exercise combats fatigue. Not only this but it increases the self esteem sometimes lost during these times. Exercise reduces depression, anxiety and anger and gives new hope and strengthens the immune system.

Paula Lilly recommends not focusing on cardio exercises but instead progressive weight training. “Patients arrive with depleted energy reserves. So we made the decision to focus on gaining precious lean body mass rather than use this energy in cardio training. Cancer patients typically suffer a notable drop in lean body mass. We aim to reverse this and to keep the workouts simple.
People want to feel normal and integrated. They have amazing resiliency”.

Cancer is an incredibly expensive disease and there are a lot of financial barriers for people” says Litterini. “So you can also see why the Cancer Welllfit programme can be a great help to them”.

The most prevalent cancers are; breast cancer 48%, ovarian cancer 15%, lymphoma 12%, brain cancer 10%, lung cancer 7% and prostate cancer 5% of cases.
The Private Trainers who work with these people, like Henderson’s Toni King (66) consider it a great honour to do so.

“These days it seems nearly everyone I meet knows someone with cancer. And I believe we have the ability to help this situation” Paul Richards. Paul has empathy for cancer sufferers and his 11 strong GYM group feels Auckland deserves this support.

Club Physical’s next ten week Cancer Wellfit programme starts Tuesday April 6th. The ten week membership is entirely FREE and from now on, each person is now invited to also bring a support person also free of charge.

Places are now available Auckland wide. The programme is entirely funded by Club Physical,To assist cancer sufferers and their supporters.

ENDS

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