Fitness to Fight Chronic Disease

Welcome guest blogger Melanie Bowen, an awareness advocate for natural health and holistic therapies for cancer patients. You will often find her highlighting the great benefits of different nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those with illness in her efforts to increase attentiveness and responsiveness on like topics.

With an aging population in the US and across the world, many countries are seeing a rise in both chronic and terminal health conditions. These can be due to many circumstances such as old age susceptibility, obesity, hypertension, and cancer such as mesothelioma. While researchers and pharmaceutical companies scramble to find new medications for secondary and tertiary treatment of these diseases, many people are realizing that a simple change of diet and daily exercise may create a positive change in their condition, mindset, and health related outcomes. Although diet and exercise may not be a cure-all or a cure at all for most chronic and terminal disease states, they can significantly improve one’s emotional and even physical health along with life expectancy.

Hypertension
One of the most common chronic conditions of people from the ages of 35 and older is hypertension. Hypertension is caused by a number of conditions that include cardiac disease, the build-up of cholesterol levels in the body, and perpetual states of stress. A change in diet and exercise is the first line of prevention for this condition. Exercise may temporarily increase one’s blood pressure initially, but as weight is lost and the heart learns to pump more efficiently, one can see a reduction in as much as ten millimeters in his or her blood pressure, which can definitely increase one’s life expectancy.

Mesothelioma and Other Cancers
Because many people were exposed to asbestos in shipyards and manufacturing industries, there was a significant increase in mesothelioma in the baby boom populations. Treatments for mesothelioma and cancer in general can be very taxing on the body leaving the patient drained and lethargic. However, times when the patient is not receiving chemotherapy can be spent doing light levels of exercise to increase the body’s ability to recover during rounds of therapy. Although this may not be scientifically shown to increase life expectancy, one who can endure chemotherapy with little effects possible may be able to receive more chemotherapy, which could allow for cancer remission.

Exercising at Home
Many people may not have the opportunity, time, or money to visit a gym each day. However, there are many exercises that one can complete at home. Light exercises such as walking can be done around one’s neighborhood and even standing in place inside the house. Jumping jacks are another way to get the cardiac pump working and lose weight as well. Television has a number of workout routines available around the clock, which range from light exercise to heart pounding workouts. Anyone wanting to start a workout routine should consult his or her doctor to ensure they are healthy enough to sustain certain activities. It is best to begin with and progress on a monthly basis.