Cancer & sport

Hi Martina3

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you’ve been diagnosed with colon cancer.

While it’s not a sport I get out for a walk everyday. I find that it helps me to clear my head when I’m feeling anxious.

Best of luck with the rest of your treatments.

Est wishes

Daisy

Hi Martina3

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you’ve been diagnosed with colon cancer.

While it’s not a sport I get out for a walk everyday. I find that it helps me to clear my head when I’m feeling anxious.

Best of luck with the rest of your treatments.

Best wishes

Daisy

Hello Martina3, I have a different cancer type and treatment than yourself but found that after finishing my first two treatments I wanted to get my fitness back (2015) and saw it as a way of coping with stress of continuing upcoming 3 monthly scans. I can see from your profile your 49 and I was a bit older at 57 at the time.

I first joined a local walking group as my fitness was very low, after fatigue every 3 weeks, it was advertised on posters in local shop windows, but it’s a national organisation so I’ll give you the link below incase it helps.

https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk

I found other cancer patients on the walk who had were going to cancer rehab gym sessions so as well as enjoying the walks and chats over coffee afterwards I tried a few sessions at the gym on their recommendation. In the next town were gym sessions organised by Macmillan but this one wasn’t but was done at a pay as you go basis at reduced rates, and they spoke to you first about any limitations or goals you had. I then picked up a Macmillan leaflet when I was next at the hospital about moving more, it had a dvd with exercises I could do at home and recommendations on walking football, walking Netball, cycling, swimming etc etc. Netball had always been my sport of choice until I gave up at at 40, but I used the link and found a walking Netball group 10 miles away and started going to that. Having to shield and with other restrictions the Netball group started a what’s app group, as we could not meet and play, and when allowed 4 of us met for a walk and a tennis knock about in the local park interrupted by shielding and local restrictions at times. The walking Netball started up again last week but I did not attend, but has been halted again due to being in an area of the Indian variant. 

Before the virus affected the country I decided as my only release was keeping busy, that I should find out more about the other things I could have in a tool box for coping with the inevitable low moments we get. I was expecting scan results and possibly further surgery so thought I  could add mindfulness to a list a methods that might help. My timing was great as of course within a month of finishing a 6 weeks HOPE course shielding for 13 weeks started for me not even a walk outside. The HOPE course is Help Overcoming Problems effectively, written by the University of Coventry and Macmillan, I’ve given a link below which I hope works or you can google it. My local cancer centre have been doing it virtually, it’s a bit off topic but I’m recalling what I did and what might be helpful to others reading this.

https://learnzone.org.uk/courses/course.php?id=111

The cancer centre that ran the HOPE course also contacted me during lockdown to offer a further 6 sessions of mindfulness over the Internet which had exercises to do between sessions and I found that very helpful. I know some gyms and sports are starting up with a tweak for social distancing so I hope you find something you like, or can think about outside the box to explore what else might fit your needs. 

I didn’t look to see if you have joined your own cancer group to see if anyone who has had the same experiences as you have any good experiences or warnings. I hired an electric bike with a friend to cycle around a local reservoir a few years ago when I felt the need to have a fun day out and that was brilliant.

Oops of on a tangent again so I should quit now, tell us perhaps what you’ve been thinking of doing, I’m sure the Macmillan support line

0808 808 0000 may be able to help with some of their booklets or knowledge of what’s in your area, as the local Macmillan bus that travels around towns with info also told me of park runs (link below)

https://www.parkrun.org.uk a Macmillan nurse and a cancer group went on my local one once a month and had tea together afterwards, they went at various paces from walking to competing.