Digging Deep
- Good Morning America’s Amy Robach is a breast cancer survivor. She has been in remission for seven years.
- The journalist is also a dedicated runner, and she traveled to Germany to run the Berlin Marathon.
- Studies have shown that maintaining an active lifestyle can be helpful for cancer prevention, for patients undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments, and for survivors recovering from treatment.
The journalist was diagnosed with stage two invasive breast cancer in 2013, and she has been in remission for the past seven years. Robach maintains a remarkably active lifestyle, and running is her favorite way to keep herself in shape, physically and mentally.
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Posting a montage of clips from the race, Robach wrote, "This made me cry!" and tagged her post "#runforjoy." Robach finds joy in her running, but she is not shy about admitting that it's not always easy. The day she finished the race, she shared five smiling photos on Instagram, writing, "Definitely a tough and hot one – made it up to 76 degrees – but we pushed through and finished – full disclosure I wanted to quit at 14, 21 and then those last 2 miles I had to DIG DEEP!" Robach was careful to give credit to the support network that had her back every step of the way. "Having our friends and family – including my amazing Dad – running alongside me and cheering from the streets got me through," she wrote. After Robach had already been in Berlin for a week, a group of her running friends surprised her, flying overnight just to cheer her on at the race.
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For Robach, running provides a community and a way to be proactive about maintaining her health. It's also a cathartic release for her mental health.In August, the journalist got real about the way running helps her manage stress. "Not gonna lie today was a STRUGGLE," she wrote. "So much emotion in me with my oldest moving out in a week for college, fatigue from my travels and early mornings at work – had a little cry during the run and I always feel better after a little release like that – physical movement even when it's uncomfortable can so often push out that pent up stress! Not saying it's fun, but I DO feel better now."
For many survivors, exercise is a way to fight against cancer's symptoms, take control of their health, and find a release from some of the emotional toll cancer can take.
Patients should not listen to rumors about specific diets, but should simply aim to exercise regularly and eat healthy.
The Benefits of Exercise for Survivors
For some survivors, one of the most challenging parts about battling cancer is the sense that they have lost control of their bodiesthat they're no longer in the driver's seat. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Sairah Ahmed of the division of cancer medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center said, "In terms of cancer, oftentimes patients feel that they don't have any control over any part of their life and that's not true." In fact, survivors' lifestyle choices can have a meaningful impact on the course of their treatment. "Diet, exercise, and stress control are extremely important when going through cancer therapy, as well as once you're done treating your cancer and trying to get back to the rest of your life," she said.
Studies suggest that physical activity can be a powerful antidote for side effects of cancer treatment like "chemo brain." According to Dr. Ahmed, "The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the less side effects you'll have and the faster you'll get back to your normal quality of life."
Making sure you exercise and trying to maintain a healthy weight can make a big difference.
In 2020, the American Cancer Society updated their guidelines for cancer prevention. These guidelines emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy bodyweight, regularly exercising, and consuming a nutritious diet. While previous guidelines had recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, the 2020 update suggested 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity. The guidelines also suggest that when it comes to exercise, the more the merrier.
Speaking with SurvivorNet about the benefits of physical activity for patients' experience of chemotherapy, Dr. Elizabeth Salerno said that small changes can make a difference. "Physical activity doesn't have to look like a Jillian Michaels program. It can simply be moving more throughout the day," she said.
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