Five Reasons I’m Focusing on Fitness After Breast Cancer Treatment

I have been focusing on my fitness now that I’m done with breast cancer treatment. There are five key reasons that I have been exercising more now than I have in years. I want to preserve and build muscle, have increased energy, reduce my risk of recurrence, better my moods, and improve my sleep.  

Please Note: I am not a fitness trainer or a physician. Always follow the recommendations of your medical team when beginning an exercise plan. Please understand my disclaimer before continuing.  

Beginning to Exercise Again: An Eye-Opening Experience

I have been exercising with a higher intensity level since June of 2020. When I started, I needed to stop my workouts every ten minutes or so to catch my breath. I didn’t give up, but it was humbling to pause the video workouts because my heart was beating so fast. The young instructor had plenty of energy, which was something I hadn’t seen in years.

I was too fatigued to do much more than yoga or walking when I was in active treatment. I did what I could to get myself moving, but I was exhausted during radiation. Walking helped me manage the fatigue, but I couldn’t do much more than that.

Additionally, I had exercise restrictions after my lumpectomy. My surgeon didn’t want me to do anything that would bounce my breasts and disrupt the stitches. Even doing my normal walking was discouraged. I did very gentle stretching and yoga during my surgical recovery. This helped me preserve the motion in my shoulders and helped me feel less stiff. 

Once I finished radiation, I began to think about ways that I could increase my exercise. I was still feeling quite tired, but gradually I began to increase my walking pace. I was able to resume the longer walks with Dave on the weekends. Over several months I noticed that I wasn’t as exhausted after we finished. I felt my stamina returning. It was slow but encouraging.

Obe Trial

In June of 2020, I began a trial of Obé fitness. We had a few months for free with a partnership with American Express. I decided to give it a try when I saw they offered dance classes. I love to dance, and I thought this would be a fun way to increase my exercise intensity.

I loved my first class, but I couldn’t make it through without pausing. Thankfully, no one could see me collapsing periodically on the couch to get a drink or catch my breath. I was upstairs in my retreat, outside of the eyes of my family. 

When I finished, I was exhausted. I glanced at my heart rate, and I was pretty sure it hadn’t been that high in years. I decided to take some time to rest before getting in the shower.  

Once I felt like I had a little more energy, I got in the shower. As I was enjoying the hot water, I noticed that I felt energetic. It was odd because I had been so tired just a few minutes before. The exercise endorphins were kicking in. I didn’t get that feeling after a long walk, so I was curious what the rest of my day would look like. That day I had more energy than I had in months.

I couldn’t walk the next day because I was so sore, but that is another story! 

I decided to continue to try different workouts on the weekdays and see if I could make it into a habit. After the trial was over, I decided to continue my subscription. I enjoyed the feeling that I had after my thirty minutes of exercise in the morning. There was a great variety in the workouts, and I began to see results in my overall well-being.  

AppleFitness Plus

I’m currently doing most of my workouts through AppleFitness Plus. I love the different workout durations, the integration with my AppleWatch, and how accessible the workouts are. There is always an instructor who is offering a low-impact option for me.  

5 Reasons I’m Focusing on Fitness

There are many excellent reasons to exercise regularly. I won’t be able to share them all today, but I’d like to share the reasons that I’m working out with a higher intensity after my breast cancer treatment.  

1. Preserve and Build Muscle

 Once I hit forty, I noticed that my arms and legs were looking less defined. I was the same weight on the scale, but my muscles were, well, disappearing. My primary care doctor had recommended that I add some weight-bearing activity to my regular walking to stave off some of this normal muscle loss due to aging.

When I was prescribed tamoxifen after breast cancer, I knew that I needed to take action. Tamoxifen reduces the estrogen in my body, increasing the rate at which I would lose muscle. There was also a side effect of weight gain with the medication.  

I couldn’t ignore this muscle loss anymore. I was facing a choice, continue to lose the muscle mass and risk injury (which I’d already had with a shoulder issue) or change up my exercise.

I have noticed a difference since I have been doing more weight-bearing activities. I will do HIIT workouts several times a week, and those help me build muscles in my legs. I also try to work in some strength workouts with light dumbbells. These help me target the muscles in my arms and shoulders.  

I have noticed that the definition is coming back in my muscles. When I do my everyday activities, I have more strength. It is encouraging to be able to reverse the muscle loss with exercise.

2. Increase Energy

I was fatigued after finishing radiation. Getting through each day was a challenge. I wasn’t sure if exercise would help, but it would certainly be nice if I could feel less exhausted.

Even before breast cancer, I found that I would get drained throughout the day. By the time that I reached the evening, I was ready for bed! I would typically fall asleep during tv time with Dave. I was getting enough sleep, but I wasn’t feeling energetic.

After beginning my new workout regime, I was pleasantly surprised to have more energy. While I was tired initially after the workout, I would bounce back in the shower and be able to tackle the rest of my day.  

Unlike the energy boost I would get from coffee, this energy reserve was a slow burn. It lasted me the entire day. I feel as if I have more energy now than I did before my cancer treatment.  

3. Improved Sleep

I have also discovered that my sleep is deeper and more restful when I work out with more intensity. I’m able to fall asleep faster, and I wake up much more refreshed. I haven’t changed the number of hours I’m sleeping, but they seem to be much more effective.

According to studies, exercise can help us have more slow-wave sleep. This is a deep sleep that is the most restful type of sleep we can experience. The research indicates that thirty minutes of aerobic exercise is enough to have an impact on our sleep.  

Since exercise can also release endorphins, it is best to exercise a few hours before bed so that the exercise endorphins don’t disrupt your ability to fall asleep.  

4. Better Mood

Overall, I have found that I am in a better mood on the days I exercise. My smiles come more quickly, and I laugh more. I like how I feel inside my skin, and I have more energy to get through the day.  

The impact of exercise on mood has been the subject of scientific studies.  Short bursts of exercise can stave off depression.  

While I still have ups and downs (you can ask my family about that) , I find that my best and happiest days are the ones that I begin with a fun dance workout!

5. Reduce Risk of Recurrence

I wanted to up my exercise habit to reduce the risk of my breast cancer recurrence. While doctors cannot point to a specific reason why exercise has this impact, it has been documented in a recent study.

If I exercise at least 2.5 hours per week, I can drop the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 55%. Exercise is a constructive thing I can do for myself as I work through my recovery. I wasn’t able to stay on the tamoxifen, but I can work out. 

 I also love that exercise makes me feel great. So much of cancer treatment had destructive side effects. I had less of my breast due to surgery, and I was burned and tired during radiation. Taking tamoxifen had an impact on my mood and my quality of life. 

In contrast, exercise has positive impacts on my quality of life. On the days I work out, I feel better, smile more, and sleep better. And I’m reducing my risk of recurrence. These are lovely side effects.  

There are many great reasons to focus on fitness after breast cancer. While I don’t know if I will have a recurrence, I know that exercising now improves the quality of my days so that I can enjoy them more.