Marching Healthy 2012

Me!, lol.........walking is my favorite exercise. Was walking 6 miles a day, 5 days a week before all this cancer mess! Now lucky to get 1/2 mile after chemo....working on getting it back!

WOOHOO! thanks for starting the thread!  I love walking, yoga and body pump!  Though can't really do the weights yet, I find that doing weights changes my body more than anything.  I am also going to add back Zumba into the mix during treatment!

Kadia - I bet you will back in no time!  I've always wished I were a runner, just never have gotten into, always hurt my boobs!  LOL 

Here we are ladies!!

Well I was never much of a formal exerciser until this past summer, when

I started jogging. Was so proud of myself, that's the main thing, and also felt much better.

Right now though in day 8 of #1, I'll be pretty proud if I can walk around the block. I'm still feeling hit by a truck! Can't wait to have good walks and even run again. Maybe not that soon though.

I've been walking for a few weeks now and after BMX and DIEP on 2/7 I'm feeling pretty good and do between 2.5 and 6.5 miles almost every day.  With first TC tx yesterday I'm not sure I can keep up that pace, but will try to get the 2.5 in most days.  I have a 7 lb kettleball and keep saying I'm going to get into that as well, but after one short workout session last week I was in so much pain in my thighs I could hardly move for days!  I'll have to work up to that one.

I've never been athletic, but when I turned 50 a few years ago I signed up for the Iron Girl Triathlon and trained and was able to finish respectably.  Enjoyed the jogging and was doing great with that then hit with a nasty sep and divorce and instead of sticking with it to help with stress I stopped and gained back the weight I had lost from working out     Then the BC worry and waiting and now surgery and chemo...I will get back into shape in 2012!  My reasons are to help avoid BC recurrence, to be fit and healthy and look fabulous as a BC survivor! 

Brax, thanks for starting this!  I like to walk also, run a little, ride my bike and lift weights.  I tend to be a little lazy in the winter, so hadn't been doing much but walking.  The kids and I take a 1 mile walk after the morning session of school, and dh and I walk a mile when he gets home from work, but that is it for me.  And since chemo started I'm lucky to do a half-mile.  But you guys are so encouraging, especially those who walk or run 3 or more miles a day!  That's great!  

KatyCB - sorry you aren't feeling well.  I sent you a PM. We are on the same schedule, just different meds. 

Thanks onvacation, I marched a bit too... I suppose every little bit helps...

Hello ladies.  I don't do much cardio esp. since I'm still underweight from the BC stress.  However, I do lift weights 3-4x/week.  I'm not bulky or anything but I do have definition.  I had to slow down (stop) during my first week after chemo but I got back on the horse after that.  I usually feel realy good afterwards.

I plan to get out and walk for as much as I have the stamina for. Maybe it's mind over matter!!

I hung out the laundry!!! Made me happy!

Brax, awesome that you jogged, that's amazing!

Hi Ladies,

I am THRILLED to see this thread, as I felt like a lone wolf (ess) when I decided to exercise through chemo 2 years ago.  I think it made an amazing difference in a trip through SIX dose dense AC followed by six DD taxol.  I was still standing at the end.  I did my weights/crunches routine every weekday and cycled every weekend.  I was tired at the end, but still had my core fitness intact.  I walked at least one mile on the days I didn't cycle.

I can say that I did lose quite a bit of energy.  But I was fit enough to do the short course of a cycling event (Chilly Hilly...walking most of the hills) half way through Taxol.

Other benefits were that I was able to sleep well, needed minimal additional meds, was able to eat mostly normally, didn't get depressed, kept my brainpower intact, didn't have the bowel issues, and didn't get a whole host of other ills.  I did have Neulasta support which meant I didn't need to worry about infection, and I didn't get sick either.

I did two 45 mile cycling events in the two weekends following radiation.  I was tired at the end, but I did them.  One was during extremely foul weather.

So I am here to cheer you on.  As for motivation, my motto was that I might as well be exercise and dragging as just dragging.  I always felt better after my walks/rides.  They opened up my lungs too and flooded my body with oxygen.

I remember one day when I was dragging towards the end of AC and doing a 20 mile ride on the flats.  I realized that about 90% of women in this country aren't fit enough to do this, and they weren't being hammered by chemo.  I was extremely proud of myself when I realized this.

Two years later, I still exercise every day.  Well......I missed cycling last weekend and feel it.  But that is because I was dim enough to think I could make it back to my car safely when I got caught in white out HAIL!!!  I am still limping.

Good luck, and chemo will be over before you know it.  I wanted to make sure you know it can be done. - Claire

Claire: thankyou so much for your view from the other side, it is so motivating and inspirational!!

Good for you galena! I've read that it doesn't matter if your break exercise down into smaller sessions, you still reap the benefit. I've felt so lousy since my infusion Monday I haven't done anything...

Hi all, my 2nd tx was yesterday so I'm just chiming in here now. Loving the energy!

I've been a "fair-weather runner", intermittently for 30 years. (Coached for 7 years in there). More recent years, I call myself a "fair-weather jogger". I walk a lot. Live around steep hills and it puts extra sweat in the walks. I love hiking, moderate pace... get a sweat on. When at the gym (usually winters), I love step, zumba, and spinning classes, and the elliptical. 

Like to combine some yoga and resistance in the mix -- a few times a week include free weighs -- prior to UMX. 

Right now I'm just getting out and walking as much as possible. I walk my dog -- which isn't much of a work-out, but it forces me to get outside, move, and get fresh air. I've been doing movement meditations and stretching for the UMX arm and for the full-body treatment pain. So not much sweating lately!

Hoping this thread will help motivate me to get back to walking the hills (with dog-walk as just the warm-up or cool-down... NOT the entire workout).  Sweating will help get the toxins out.... so with today being day 2, I'm getting out there to walk some hills prior to the dreaded neulasta shot this afternoon. 

Favorite workouts for spring/summer: are running/walking, yoga, free weights, core resistance. 

Great thread!