Okay, this if from FOX news, so it is not necessarily reliable as they have publicized some total false "cures" by celebrities and quacks and I can not vouch for the links at the bottom of the article.
However, the main text: exercise for Cancer Patients seemed unobjectionable although I cannot figure out why they would think your doctor had to be consulted before stretching. All my doctors encouraged me to stretch from day one.
Basically the 4 exercises are : aerobic exercise, strength training, balance and stretching
Anyway, here is the link to the article
4 kinds exercise help Cancer patients
I found exercise post TX really helped me recover.

Hi Charm:

Also, my radiation oncologist has mentioned Yoga several times. Have you had any experience with that, or have any of you other members tried it?
julieann

JulieAnn

I do both Yoga and Pilates regularly at my gym. I even kept doing Yoga and Pilates the first three weeks of my radiation TX the first time. IMO they are both excellent rehabilitation exercises for cancer patients. Like yourself, my RO recommended yoga as did my MO and ENT surgeon. I personally like the Pilates better since it does not have so many "pretzel" shapes.
Don't forget some weight lifting, hand weights are good to start off with as well as the exercise machines.
My understanding is that many OCF members do Yoga and find it very helpful.
Hope this helps
Charm

I did yoga up to week 2 of my radiation.., and now I do a varied version of it- meditative yoga - that way I'm not burning calories but receiving the same benefits of the meditation, I love yoga and cannot wait to get back to it. 4 more days of treatment to go. Yoga is awesome because it works on strengthening and breathing - ts he's you focus and give you a little me time. I am also an avid gym goer but in the interest of saving my calories I have stopped as of 4 weeks ago - waiting to finish this and feel better so I can get back to it. Try yoga - it's not about the end point it's about the journey... Ohm...

If any OCF readers are in Springfield Illinois area, I came across this clinical trial on exercise firthat's still open.
I was too wiped out the last month of radiation & chemo to do resistance exercise, although like Cheryl, I did meditate.
IMO a study on post radiation exercise would be more practical and useful but that's not their primary purpose anyhow, which is
[quote]to test the feasibility of a randomized controlled exercise trial in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy[/quote]
Here is the info on the clinical trial
Resistance Training during Radiation
Charm

Well this is a subject near and dear to me. As might be guessed from my login name, I am a triathlete, am Ironman. I was pretty devistated by TX and have been working quite hard to get back to where I was a short 20 months ago. Even during the most depressing days of treatment I would at least get out for a walk. Actually, my wife would force me out to walk,I use to call it the batan death march. Down the street, around the block I woul shuffle. I was able to start working out maybe 3 months after TX and it did give me great satisfaction and helped getting me stronger. Today, 18 months post, I am doing well. I guess I will not return to where I was before but that is OK.

So all I can say is that I believe 100% is getting out and moving. We can walk, we can lift light weights, yoga is great, streching is great. We just neeed to keep movin forward.

Steve

I still do as I want and the Drs are glad I didn't and don't listen to them. Let me out the door and it's nonstop for a few hours. My grass has been mowed at least 4 times this year mostly by hand and this yard is much bigger than the one I had before. I have at least an acre here and a nonstop guy for a reputation already. LOL Have my veggies ready to pant too if this rain ever leaves. To me exercise makes my body feel much better. Let it rest and it will tire easily. Heck, who wants to act their age? 75 is still young.

Add me to your list of those who think exercise during treatment (to a certain extent) and for sure after treatment aids in recovery.
I walked during treatment on almost a daily basis. If it was nice outside, that's where I went. If it was not nice, the cancer center had wonderful skywalks. Now at home I have an elliptical, which I use for 10-15 minutes twice a day. Not what I used to do, but I am only a little over two months out of treatment. Combined with housework and then I am back mostly full time at school I am moderately active. I am probably crazy for being back on the job, but I do think it gets my mind off of myself. Then, too, summer is coming, and school is ending in 3 weeks. I have lots of aches and pains about my shoulder, face, head, that come and go, but after I exercise I always feel better that way too.

I thought all those exercises we were given for recovery from neck disection and radiation were basically stretching exercises . . . and were good for you. They told me the first year was the most important year to do them, but probably really meant, "don't skip the first year thinking you'll catch up later."

Like Cheryl, I did not do much exercise my last week of radiation/chemo nor did I the first two weeks following. I think we can be excused from missing during that time.
Anne

Hi Everyone

I have always been the person who thought exercise was a four letter word and at the very least, unnecessarily used up heart beats .

However, when casting about for tangible and immediate reasons for Alex to give up smoking, I came across an interview with a researcher who had just shown that people who smoked during radiation had a poorer outcome than those who quit immediately prior. One of the possible reasons he cited, links in to this post and gives a compelling reason to continue with light expercise (IMO)

[quote] Chen said additional research will be needed to explain these differences in outcomes for patients with head and neck cancers. One theory suggests that smoking deprives the body of much-needed oxygen. "Radiation therapy requires oxygenation for the production of free radicals, which attack cancer cells," he said[/quote]

So my thinking is this ... if better oxygenation helps radiation work better, then a bit of walking to promote such oxygenation has to be a good thing. I imagine yoga and breathing would be even better!! My Alex walked at least a kilometre every day he was in chemoradiation and always said he felt much better afterwards. I think he was spurred on in the knowledge that he was able to actively DO something to help himself and it was a positive step (well steps actually) rather than a sacrifice.

I have inserted a link below (I hope) for those of you who would like the whole article and may also be interested in the effects of active smoking on radiation treatment. It's a very short read and mostly in English

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100427171847.htm