Get Your Oomph Back

Carolyn Garritt was a personal trainer for cancer patients, and then she became one. Here she writes about how to get moving again after a knock and why it’s so important

At the start of the pandemic, I was working as a personal trainer specialising in exercise for people with cancer. It was a job I had adored for more than seven years. I was fit, and mostly worked outdoors, one-to-one or with groups.

As the realities of Covid-19 became clear I knew I wouldn’t be working much, but I imagined I’d use the time to update my website, do the bookkeeping and finish that book (about exercise and cancer) that I’d been writing for, well, ages.

And then, three weeks into lockdown, I found a breast lump. Quite by accident, after I had been shadow boxing, holding weights, with a couple of clients online. I thought I had just inflamed one of my pectoral muscles. I was wrong.

Going through a cancer diagnosis felt odd, almost dreamlike. Doing it at a time of global crisis just made the whole thing even more surreal, and it felt incredibly strange to be facing decisions as a cancer patient after years of working with them. It was suddenly happening to me too.

I was very lucky – I already had a network of support through my work.

My clients were amazing, and they really looked out for me and were able to advise me. ­ They had already walked in my shoes. I was also fortunate because I knew a great deal about the side effects that I might encounter, and what to do to aid my own recovery.

Research has shown, convincingly, that being active after a cancer diagnosis is really helpful in aiding recovery and reducing our risks for the future.

Exercising after cancer can help reduce the risk of it coming back by between 30 and 40 per cent. ­ That’s huge, and experts in Australia believe that ‘if exercise was a pill, it would be prescribed to every patient’. For those living with secondary or advanced cancer, exercise can help slow down the cancer’s progression, again, like drugs can.

More immediately though, exercise can help us feel better.

Clinical studies have shown that exercise can help combat most of the commonly experienced side effects of cancer treatment: fatigue, anxiety and depression, hot flushes and night sweats, weight loss/ weight gain, pain and joint stiff ness, bone thinning and lymphoedema.

Cancer treatment can be completely debilitating, and the side effects can drag on for months. If you’re one of the 150,000 cancer survivors living in Ireland, you’ll know that already. Some 95 per cent of people find that they experience fatigue. For those living with cancer, life can become cyclical, as you go through treatment cycle after cycle and experience the ups and downs associated with that.

­There’s also the anxiety – will it come back? Did the treatment really work? Will my next scan be ok?

We know that exercising can help alleviate some of the anxiety, tiredness, pain and body changes but where on earth would you start?

Carolyn celebrates with fellow survivors

My very best advice is to start by putting one foot in front of the other. Walking – outdoors if possible – can be helpful in calming the mind, especially if you soak up the seasons and notice nature around you as you go. Being on your feet can help to keep your bones strong and if you can walk briskly, so that you feel a bit out of puff , this can help to rebuild your heart and lung health. No dawdling mind – try to keep to a pace that is only just manageable.

If you’re not able to stay on your feet for long, then marching in a chair, and chair-based exercises in general, can elevate the heart rate more than many people imagine. Walk every day if you can. Enlist a walking buddy or borrow a furry one from a friend. Give ‘Nordic Walking’ a go – this is walking with poles. It’s really clever and is in my view the best form of cancer rehab. It’s great for your posture and for your heart and lungs. It builds strength in your arms, shoulders, legs and trunk, helps your bones and there’s evidence that it helps ease lymphoedema swelling. It’s sociable, outdoors and low-cost, what’s not to love?

Beyond walking, there are four aspects of being active after cancer that can really help.

GET OUT OF PUFF>> As well as offsetting cancer-related fatigue, this can help assist weight loss if that is an issue. It can also encourage our bodies to produce endorphins – happy hormones that give us a little high after we’ve moved.

GET STRONGER>> Many people find that their physical strength is really affected – climbing stairs and lifting things can feel so difficult. Training your muscles to be stronger also helps with fatigue, supports bones and can help those who lost weight during treatment to regain it healthily.

STAY FLEXIBLE>> Some cancer drugs cause aches and pains, and stiff ness. Activities like yoga and Pilates can help our bodies to regain their flexibility and can help reduce pain. Aim to stretch in some way every day.

WORK ON YOUR BALANCE>> Lots of people find that their balance is not as good as it was. Tai chi and yoga are really useful here, and you can also do things at home – try standing on one foot while you clean your teeth or walk heel to toe as if you’re on a tightrope from one room to another.

SMALL STEPS>> I know that the idea of exercising can feel overwhelming.

If you know you’re short of time or energy (or enthusiasm) then my best advice is to find quick, manageable ways to incorporate movement into your daily routines. It can be as simple as getting off the bus a stop too early then walking or taking the stairs rather than the lift. ­ ese actions can all add up to a more active day.

NOTES OF CAUTION>> Avoid strength training if you’ve had surgery within the last eight weeks. Your consultant or nurse can advise you on when it’ll be safe for you to start. If you have cancer that has spread to your spine, avoid moves that cause your torso to bend or twist sharply.

If your balance has been really impacted by treatment, do keep an eye out for obstacles and trip hazards. If you’re on active treatment, it’s advised that you don’t exercise on the days you have chemo. If you feel unwell, have a temperature, nausea or sickness, or any new pain, please rest and ask your clinical team for advice.

And so, 18 months down the line, how am I doing? I know I’m not as fit as I was before, but I’m working on it and I’m doing my own strength training. I’m less anxious about the cancer coming back, for sure.

­The drug I’m taking for the next 5-10 years (Tamoxifen) does make me tired and achy but I’m figuring out ways to minimise that. I’m really pleased to say that my book is being published in November. I still haven’t caught up with the bookkeeping.

Across Ireland there are organisations that support people with a cancer diagnosis to be more active. Visit 5kyourway.org; arccancersupport.ie; cancer.ie; purplehouse.ie; sielbleu.ie

Get your Oomph Back by Carolyn Garritt is published by Hammersmith Health Books and available now.

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