Staying active can help you deal with the emotional ups and downs of cancer. Exercise improves a person’s overall mood because it releases hormones that reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Some research has even found that exercise helps keep the mind sharp and improving memory.
There are a lot of things you can’t control while on cancer—unpleasant side effects from various treatments, missing friends or school because of your treatment.
Exercise is something you can control and it can help you:
- Sleep better at night. Research has shown that staying active during the day and can make it much easier to fall asleep at night.
- Control your weight. Some treatments include the use of steroids and exercise can help counteract the weight gain that can come from the use of these medications.
- Keep your bones strong. Bone loss is another side effect of some cancer therapies and exercise can help maintain your bone density.
- Stay in touch with your friends and family by setting up “exercise buddies” to help keep you motivated.