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The first two weeks of our #LC50 campaign have focused on the benefits of exercise for blood cancer patients. To help get you off the mark we have created a printable exercise planner that allows you to map out your new workout targets and tick off your achievements. This is one of the most motivational ways to help you stick with your new routine.
What you choose to put in to this planner and how much you choose to do will obviously depend on your level of fitness, diagnosis and circumstance. There is no point doing something you have no interest in as most people find it hard enough getting motivated in the first place.
Setting short term goals
It is important to plan your week in a way that is realistic and achievable. We advise you to start off slow so that you don’t over exert yourself too early, and gradually build up the duration and how often you do the activity. Tick them off after they have been achieved. Using the planner will help you to see if these goals are realistic. You can change the goals if they are too challenging, or not challenging enough.
Long term goals
You may want to set long term goals at the start of every month and use these short-term goals to help you achieve them. E.g “By the end of February I hope to be able walk a lap of the park without a break”. Use these goals to see how far you’ve progressed since day one and use this as further motivation. If you are going through treatment, don’t push yourself too much. If you can, try to work with your treatment by exercising on your good days and resting when you need to.
Reaping the rewards
When you feel able to exercise, you should increase your exercise activities gradually. At first, you may feel much more tired than usual, but over time this will improve. Regular exercise can help increase strength, maintain muscle mass and promote flexibility. It also helps to alleviate fatigue, and activities that include weight-bearing exercise can also help to improve bone density and reduce the risk of bone thinning (osteoporosis). Record how you feel at the start and end of each week using our “how are you feeling?” box to get an idea of how exercise is helping with your recovery.
For more information on the benefits of exercise and ideas on what sort of exercise is recommended for you, click here.
Download our exercise planner here.