In: Nursing
Given this patient’s history, do you have any concerns with respect to starting resistance training? What cancer-related complaint should you periodically screen for to ensure ongoing resistance training is safe in patients with a history of bone cancer?
Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, rubber exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract
During cancer treatments (and after), it is important to keep your muscles as strong as possible. Weakness can occur due to changes in activity and diet. Some medications used in cancer treatments can also contribute to weakness.
It is best to start these as soon as your cancer treatment begins, or before. Strength training exercises should be done 2-3 times per week, with a rest day in between.
There will be days when you should not do strength-training exercises.