Exercise and well being during chemo and radiation

Hopeful82014

My brother uses a pedometer app on his iP and I'm pretty sure the app does NOT have to be on all the time.

Italychick

I use strava for hiking, biking and walking on my phone The basic version is free. When you use it, you just tell it if you are biking, hiking, or walking. It keeps track of your miles, time, etc. it also works for runs. It calculates elevation climbed/walked, etc. and keeps a training log so you can see how much you have done day/month/year.

If anybody wants to try it and has questions, just let me know. Happy workouts!

molly1976

I had the Pacer app for a while but it was using a ton of battery. I've started doing Map My Walk and it seems to work great. It also integrates with My Fitness Pal, which I use to track calories.

ksusan

Lots of research shows that tracking exercise, food, and medications helps us stay on target.

littleblueflowers

Does a bacon, turkey, avocado, red pepper, spinach and cucumber sandwich count as excercise and well being? Working a 12 hr day today, doing laps of my office..

Jackbirdie

Littleblue- that's a lot of chewing. Chewing is small muscle exercise! Hah! Sounds deeelish!!!!

ksusan

Well, it's better than a Big Mac and fries for our current purposes.

littleblueflowers

My Big Mac and fries intake is up 1000% since cancer. During chemo, sometimes I just needed an emergency burger, and the adult babyfood at McDonalds was highly digestable. Can you tell I'm defensive about it??? :

molly1976

My thing has been milkshakes. Unfortunately my surgeon's office is right across from McDonalds and any time I would go in there and get any sort of shot or poking around in the boob I'd be like, "ok, now I totally deserve a milkshake."

karabesque

You are all rock starts, IMO. Yesterday I went to my first theraputic yoga class and low and behold, the instructor is a BC survivor! It was a small class so we worked on a lot of chest opening and lymphatic stimulating poses. My arms and rib cage are sore in just the right way. I have TEs in and they cause a lot of tightness and this helped. Yay!

Having a lazy day so far but gearing up to clean the house, do laundry and then a long walk with the dog. I hope everyone is doing good today.

ksusan

Nice serendipity, Karabesque!

Littleblue and Molly, my sense has been that getting through this sometimes trumps our normal decision-making!

Hopeful82014

Glad your first class worked out so well, karabesque. It can make a huge difference.

My adaptive yoga instructor is a 25 year survivor of bc as well. She's wonderfully supportive of all of us and I feel very, very fortunate to have access to her classes.

I've reached the point today where I just don't think a sense of well-being is possible until RT is done - and given that they emphasize that it doesn't reach its peak after the end of treatment, I'm writing off the next month. Not that I won't exercise, etc., but I won't expect anything I do to make a difference, because to date it hasn't and they can't offer any suggestions that I'm not already following.

What really bugs me is that they can't even bother to care or show some empathy. It's all very cold and rigid and scripted. I hate it.

rainnyc

You are all so motivating! Sadly, today, while I was all over the city, I did not do any concentrated walking. But I DID keep myself from buying ice cream or a street cart hotdog. Dinner with organic veggies will have to count as today's health entry.

ksusan

Sorry, Hopeful, that's crummy. My techs make a huge effort to be warm and personal.

Jackbirdie

hopeful, I'm so sorry. Don't know what else to say A hug going out.

Jackbirdie

Thanks everyone for the great phone app suggestion. I found one and loaded a pre- programmed "Couch to 10K". Perfect ha ha. I haven't quite met the first day goal but have many hours till sundown.

Jack and I walked in a pretty city park. Two loops. 2/3 mile. Goal is 3500 steps and I've done 3000. I can see how much a target helps like Hopeful said. I need to rest. But I felt...., happy?...,while I was walking.

Italychick

damn I would have eaten the hot dog. And the ice cream

slothabouttown

What a beautiful place to walk! Jack looks like he's on top of the world. I went to pick peaches today and hoping I logged at least a mile on that adventure.

Jackbirdie

yum. Fresh peaches. YUMMMMMM

ksusan

I have a friend coming to town for the weekend, so I'm hoping we'll walk and talk.

Marksgirl

Hi Fit Friends!   Hopeful - I am out for the count now too from rads, I was fine up until number 26.   Then suddenly peeling, raw area under my breast (sportsbra band area) and all over getting sore and red.    I was able to do BeachbodyT25 and  Zumba (20 - 40 min at home only) all through chemo and 4 weeks of radiation - mostly for stress relief and to feel the sweat pour off my bald head detoxing me and telling cancer to shove off.   I will still follow you all and join back in on the other side!    (Are chocolate covered expresso beans considered clean eating????)           Love my Fitbit by the way!     Exercise on!

rainnyc

Marksgirl: Chocolate-covered anything is good for the soul and so is considered clean eating.

Jackbirdie

dark dark chocolate for me and I promise to make sure the nuts they are covering are organic! 😂😂😁😁😁😂😂.

ksusan

Marksgirl, I was going to skip my evening exercise, but you've inspired me to seize the day. Therefore, I'm on the treadmill because I can be at this stage of my radiation.

littleblueflowers

5 mile jog...so...much...better....😊

Jackbirdie

Well done, Jen!

I decided to take Jack for a bonus walk and see if I could make the goal.

I did it! 3900 steps vs 3500 goal

42 "active" minutes

1.5 miles

Very happy. I like keeping track.

Thanks KSusan, for starting this thread. It just may save my life.,

ksusan

Yay! I have 16 more minutes to go!

karabesque

I didn't do anything today. I am so sore from that yoga class. Psyched about that. Tomorrow is Taxol #2. That will be a wasted day... Yoga and a hike planned for the weekend.

My appetite is back. I actually ate 3 meals today! Greek yogurt, a mini bagel, grilled chicken, corn, power greens salad and a small gelato. I haven't eaten this much in 3 months! And it all tasted great!

Claire_in_Seattle

Hi Ladies....

As someone who is 5 years ahead of you, all I can say is "brava"! I cycled through chemo and radiation and found I had a much easier trip through than those who didn't exercise. I was ahead of the curve, but now the research bears out what I experienced. I learned that those of us who are active don't lessen the time it takes to recover completely, but that we do keep our core fitness which is important.

One thing that helped me when I was cycling at less than full speed, I realized that 90% of Americans couldn't do what I could do at that point. (e.g. cycle 20+ miles) I also set myself the challenge of exercising every single day. I managed to do that.

5 years out, I am fitter than ever. Just did once again the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic earlier this month. I was hoping for a fast time this year, but went in fried from work.(You want to sleep in and ONLY have 208 miles to cycle over 2 days!!!!) I did notice a difference on hills and at the end where I actually enjoyed my trip through Portland.

Apart from cycling, I am up for the challenges that life presents me. This includes the consulting work that came my way just this week.

One thing I will mention is don't be afraid to use energy potions and ibuprofen to get you through the days post treatment. Both were a godsend that first year. And yes, I did the STP six weeks post radiation.

Don't be afraid to go for "better than ever" post treatment. We set the bar too low.

Bag Balm to get you through radiation. Wonderful veterinary product for dairy cows that I used on my own personal udder ("bag") on top of the other gels recommended by my radiation team. Minimal soreness/skin damage.

Not sure what else to mention, but stay the course. Because it will make all the difference going forward. (BTW - my "go to" health food was fried clams with chips.) YUM!!! And chock full of iron and potassium. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. - Claire

Marksgirl

Shoot, I mistyped!   I started getting sore at 21 and no more sportsbra/overhead activity.   26 isn't till Monday for me.   I know you will be able to keep walking longer, may be all the way through!   Jackbirdie, 42 active minutes is fantastic!!!!   And the organic nuts with dark chocolate surely is a great anti-oxident.   Ksusan - you made my day!     Woot woot.   Thank you for starting this post and thanks for backing the chocolate!!     You guys are awesome.