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Cancer isn’t the dead end to your journey; say hello to Yoga!
For the lesser known, ‘Yoga’, the name is derived from a Sanskrit word 'Yuj' that dates back to 5,000 years (Woah! And we thought it’s a new fitness concept) that implies to the fusion of mind, body and spirit. Etched in ancient Indian philosophy, it’s scientifically proven to boost flexibility and endurance. The gentle body movements and breathing exercises are highly recommended for cancer patients because of their various benefits that aid in holistic healing.
Let's jump right into understanding some of the benefits of Yoga for cancer patients!
1. Getting some much-needed slumber is #PositivityGoals
Sleep is closely related to speedy recovery from any illness. It is no different for cancer patients. It builds strength and endurance, improves blood circulation, reduces pain and anxiety and even boosts your mood. It also relieves cancer patients of fatigue, which is a side effect of your illness and its treatments. A regular fitness routine of Yoga helps in bidding farewell to insomnia. It also induces longer hours of sleep among patients who find it difficult to sleep for as long as their body requires during this time. In short, it is often the root for relieving you of most of the side effects of cancer. Hell yeah, so getting some zzz is all the much easier now!
2. Toxins out, glow in
Yoga works as a therapy for your body, clearing out the toxins accumulated in your body due to cancer treatment. It increases blood flow, stimulates muscles and improves the lymphatic flow in order to flush out the harmful toxins and basically cleansing your entire body from within. Breathing exercises in Yoga also enhance the oxygen flow to the cells, serving as nutrients for the cancer-affected cells and clearing out toxins further.
3. Stress-buster 24x7
Yoga improves hormonal balance, reducing the chances of cancer recurrence. Pretty cool, don’tcha think? Yes, it’s proven that Yoga keeps cortisol levels under control among patients suffering from breast cancer. Secretion of cortisol increases stress and is responsible for aggravating the growth of tumour. Stress has multiple implications which stretch beyond just mental and emotional stress, causing us to feel fear, pain and anxiety. Some of it also concerns physical stress. Yoga controls autonomic stress responses like muscle pain, inflammation and vasoconstriction to uplift your mood. Total win-win, we say!
4. Improved motor skills
Yoga improves the viscero-somatic processing of sensory–motor signals, boosting your motor skills that are often affected due to cancer and subsequent treatment that make the body tired and sore. The gentle movements of Yoga can significantly improve your flexibility, making you more functional whilst having an appetite, which is something we can definitely get behind coz who doesn’t love themselves some food, right?
Cancer treatment on its own surely isn’t enough for a wholesome healing. What you need to do is balance the treatment and medications with a regular fitness routine and healthy diet, then voila. Yoga would definitely fit into that new-found as an as effective form of exercise to support your journey to recovery. So, if you’re still wondering whether a close family member or friend could give this fitness regime a shot, we’d say, go for it. It’s therapeutic in its own sweet way!
