Everyone struggles with this, cancer history or not. When you are working eight hours a day, who has energy for a post-work workout? How do you prioritize exercise as part of your new normal after cancer recovery?
So you’re back to work after cancer, and your doctors continue to remind you that regular exercise is important to your recovery. True, but when you are working eight hours a day, who has the energy for a post-work workout? How do you prioritize exercise as part of your new normal? Everyone struggles with this, cancer history or not.
Follow these tips to make exercise a part of your life:
Choose an Exercise You Enjoy
Exercise you enjoy is far more likely to pull you away from your desk than exercise that you dread. There is great variety in types of exercise: Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, various styles of aerobic and strength training, hiking and other outdoor activities, swimming, dance classes, and even video gaming systems that offer virtual workouts with online buddies.
Get a Partner to Exercise with You
You might stand up the treadmill in your basement, but you’re less likely to work overtime and stand up your exercise buddy.
Make the Most of the Time You Have
There will be times that even with the best intentions and the most regular exercise plan, there just will not be enough hours in the day. So make the most of the time you have. Park a little farther from the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or take a brief break from your desk and go for a walk. Need to ask a coworker a question? Why not walk to his or her desk rather than calling or emailing? Even if you can’t do a lot of exercise during the workday, you can squeeze in a few moves that can be done at your desk, such as stretches. At the very least, take a few deep cleansing breaths to refresh your mind and body.
Need help with a new exercise routine? Contact Mercy Health & Fitness Center at 330-966-8997 or Mercy Cancer Center’s nurse navigators at 330-430-2788 for information about available programs, including those designed especially for cancer survivors.
