Cancer is a villain that is the second leading cause of death in our world amounting to one in four deaths. It is a frightening disease and with it being so prevalent each of us cannot help but wonder if we could be a victim at some stage of our life.
The normal treatment options which include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are now being joined by something very simple and effective in the war against cancer. And that something is proper exercise that works the muscular system of the human body.
Everybody is aware that our muscles are necessary for our all over body strength But not many people are aware that our muscle tissue also has the important role of being the body's armor and defense system against sickness and disease.
Researchers are working to understand how physical activity helps fight cancer and also helps the body recover after harsh cancer treatment. Their findings so far suggest that a proper exercise program offers many benefits either during treatment or afterwards.
Here are some of the benefits:
• Conventional cancer treatments cause extreme fatigue. Exercise helps fight this, calms anxiety and makes people feel better about themselves and their bodies.
• Exercise reduces blood levels of insulin a hormone that causes cells to divide and grow more quickly. High levels of this hormone create a higher risk of cancer and a much higher rate of recurrence and death.
To further fight cancer the immune system must be strengthened and this is done by strengthening the muscular system. A proper exercise program made up mostly of strength training exercise will protect and preserve muscle tissue which is crucially important for optimal immune function in two major ways:
• The cells of the immune system use the amino acid glutamine as a fuel source. The storage sites are muscle tissue so, the more toned muscle tissue you have the more glutamine you can store and the better your immune system works.
• Muscle tissue is where our body stores protein which is essential to produce new antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections and find and destroy cancer cells. This protein store is important when fighting illness as the body uses it at a much faster rate. More toned muscle tissue means more stored protein is kept as a reserve to draw on when needed.
When the correct level of intensity (degree of effort) is used when exercising, the heart rate is raised speeding the circulation of antibodies and killer 'T' cells through the body to help destroy the cancer cells.
After an exercise session white blood cell counts can be raised anywhere from 50-300% triggering a repair mechanism to help restore the immune system after it has been damaged by chemotherapy.
Proper exercise is now considered so beneficial that cancer experts are even encouraging patients to begin or resume a program under supervision of a fitness professional while treatment is under way.
So, forget the notion that your muscles are just for looks. They are essential for the healthy functioning of the immune system and the ability to withstand and recover from disease. By putting them to work you just might emerge from a battle with cancer stronger, healthier and with a better quality of life than when you started it.
Article Source: http://www.largedirectory.info
