Donna Wilson, a clinical nurse specialist and fitness expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Integrative Medicine Center, urges cancer survivors to include regular physical activity in their post-treatment plan.
Studies have shown that regular physical activity – including aerobic activity, weight training, core exercises, and stretching – can help to reduce the impact of cancer treatments on bones, muscles, energy level, and mood. Exercise has also been shown to increase survival and decrease the risk of a cancer recurrence.
In her practice, Ms. Wilson assesses each patient’s fitness level before developing a customized physical activity program. In this video, she demonstrates a variety of techniques that patients and survivors can use to improve breathing, flexibility, muscle strength, and balance.