Cancer and excersise

18-00: Slight snow in Woodbridge; more forecast. River Deben looks wonderful in winter weather.

There seems to be a reluctance to encourage serious excersise as part of cancer rehabilitation - although there is some knowledge and research on the subject.

I have started to do specific excersises to increase strength, reduce fatigue and generally improve fitness. These are based on a programme I did some years ago which involve doing about 20 minutes every morning at home - very enjoyable (the programme is in a book - Jorge Criuse, 8 Minutes in the Morning). I rarely use the car and have done a lot of walking around Woodbridge to the boat, shops and along the river. I think these have done some good and I do feel less unfit and fatigued than formerly.

I expected to find a system of excersises designed for people with lung cancer. So - I spent ages looking for information on the internet - with no success. On Monday I was at Ipswich Hospital (for a blood test and chemo-therapy) and went into the Cancer Information Centre where I found Excersise after Cancer Treatment, a MacMillan Booklet. This had useful general information - AND success - - it referred to a web site for National Association of Cancer Exercise Rehabilitation . This has up-to-date links to research into cancer and excersise and much else, including a free guide on how to exercise after a cancer diagnosis. This has the advice to go for for moderate excersise - to raise the heart rate (eg 60% of 220 beats per minute - age). (This comes out as 91 for me).

I have joined the gym - conveniently located next to my flat! I also get five short sessions with a personal trainer as part of the joining deal - cool.