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January
25, 2008
Dear
Friends,
Many
of you are receiving this newsletter for the first time because
of your initial and continued support for cancer survivorship
within the Roaring Fork Valley. After reading this, should
you decide that you no longer want to receive The Cancer Survivor
Center newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe by clicking
on the link provided at the bottom of this email.
As many
of you know, The Aspen Cancer Survivor Center is a non-profit
organization whose mission is to optimize the quality of life
of cancer survivors. We provide scientifically based fitness
programming, nutritional guidance, mental health services
and one-on-one coaching in a caring, personal and professional
environment. We are an organization devoted to increasing
hope of the human spirit by providing resources to cancer
survivors. (Cancer Survivor (n): "any individual that
has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of discovery
and for the balance of life"-- National Coalition for
Cancer Survivorship.)
The Cancer
Survivor Center has already begun offering services to 12
new survivors in 2008. With a small donation, you can help
defray the costs of these essential services to those survivors
who are in need, but are financially devastated by their healthcare
costs. As a non-profit organization, any donation made to
support a survivor is tax deductible. To make a donation today,
please visit our website at www.aspencancer.org
and click on the "Donations" tab on the right-hand
side of the page. The staff and survivors at The Cancer Survivor
Center thank you in advance for your support.
Finally,
with fitness being one of the main focal points of CSC, we
would like to begin providing our readers with bi-monthly
fitness tips. If you have any questions regarding the exercises
and tips provided below, please do not hesitate to contact
any of our Cancer Exercise Specialists. Furthermore, should
you find these tips, or any other information in the newsletter,
interesting or valuable please forward it along to friends
and family.
Fitness
Tip #1: The Importance of Aerobic Training for Cancer Survivors
There
are numerous benefits of aerobic training including weight
management, increased endurance capacity and, of particular
interest to cancer survivors, increased immune system function.
To date there are approximately 1000 research articles describing
the risks and benefits of exercise on immune function.
With
a well planned aerobic training plan, natural killer cell
activity, neutrophil and macrophage function are enhanced.
So what should you do to help and not add any more stress
to your immune system.
The key
is to have a 'well planned' aerobic training plan where your
threshold is known. Below threshold training is appropriate
for cancer survivors undergoing treatment. At and above threshold
training is appropriate for cancer survivors who have completed
their chemotherapy (please call us to schedule an appointment
to have your threshold measured in the lab).
If you
do not know your threshold, it represents an exercise intensity
of approximately a level 6 on a 1-10 scale.
To start
an exercise program, begin with three aerobic sessions per
week at level 6 or below for 20-30 minutes. Once you feel
comfortable at that level, increase the number of days to
five days per week at an intensity level of 6 or below and
increase the duration to 30 minutes per session. Please remember,
before beginning an exercise program, always consult with
your primary care physician.
In health,
Riggs
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