366: Moving Your Way Through Cancer with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz
“Now we have a culture around cancer that says, rest, rest, rest. And we need to change that culture.”
The topic of cancer is one that has been addressed more than once before on Inquiring Minds, and today Indre visits it once again, this time looking at the impact that exercise can have on those undergoing cancer treatment. Joining her for this revelatory discussion is Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, whose many, many accomplishments include holding the position of Distinguished Professor of Public Health Sciences at Penn State’s College of Medicine and Penn State Cancer Institute, and as a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. A tireless researcher and advocate in the field of exercise oncology, Dr. Schmitz has recently authored Moving Through Cancer: An Exercise and Strength-Training Program for the Fight of Your Life - Empowers Patients and Caregivers in 5 Steps. It is essentially a thoroughly science-based guide to how to strategically use exercise and strength training to help people fight cancer and recover from it, and Dr. Schmitz discusses it and so much more in today’s highly informative and thought provoking episode.
She begins by looking at the value of exercise during cancer treatments, and then reviewing the research that has been done both over the years and in more recent trials regarding it. Dr. Schmitz also delves into the effects of exercise on cancer related fatigue and breast cancer related lymphedema, shares some valuable resources that are available, and provides an overview of her book and the process she followed when determining what to include in it. Reconstruction and what may make it easier as well as her perspective on nutrition and supplements are also discussed. As Dr. Schmitz fully acknowledges, undergoing cancer treatment ‘stinks’, and she has devoted much of her career to finding ways to lessen that suffering. Listen in today as she makes the case for exercise as one of the key ingredients in achieving this critical goal.
