Yoga is the perfect exercise for someone with cancer
Yoga helps to keep the body strong by providing a full body workout, along with movement which is essential for the lymphatic system to clear your body of toxins, deep breathing to oxygenate, but most importantly, it will also bring a sense of calm and peace since yoga requires concentration and mental focus.
The benefits of yoga include:
- Yoga may help to ease anxiety for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. According to a 2009 study of 98 outpatients who were assigned to receive either yoga training or a brief therapy session prior to undergoing surgery, the study showed that daily yoga sessions helped to manage the treatment-related side effects.
- Reducing Stress: patients who maintained a regular yoga practice may have lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than those who do not practice yoga, this is according to a study published in 2009.
- Improving your quality of life- In a pilot study published in 2006, researchers found that a seven-week yoga program significantly improved the quality of life for cancer survivors.
- Enhancing quality of sleep – A 2004 study of 39 lymphoma patients indicates that having weekly yoga sessions may help to reduce sleep disturbances by improving sleep quality, lengthening sleep duration, and reducing the use of sleep medications.
For those wishing to begin a yoga practice
It might make sense to go to your local library and check out a few basic routine DVD’s so that you can find one that works for you before making a purchase, or perhaps look into joining a class if you like to be a part of a larger group setting.
Restorative yoga practice
Is a form of yoga that is based on restorative or relaxed poses.
The benefits of restorative yoga
- focuses more on relaxing the body in restful postures, though this ‘restful’ does not include sleeping.
- Resting yoga provides the body with the opportunity to renew and heal.
- Countless studies have proven that there are physical and emotional benefits to be gained by those who practice this very gentle yoga.
- Restorative yoga, as well as other forms of yoga, can trigger the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for balancing the body and brings this response system back into equilibrium.
- Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system helps to lower the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, helps to stimulate the immune system, and keeps the endocrine system operating optimally.
A Yoga Routine for Beginners
Yoga for Relaxation
Additional Resources
Yoga Zone – Yoga Basics for Beginners
Restorative Yoga for Beginners: Gentle Poses for Relaxation and Healing