CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Weight lifting appears to improve breast cancer survivors' outlook on life, suggests one of the first studies to scientifically measure the effects of such exercise. About 80% of women who took up twice-a-week weight training saw improved scores on a quality-of-life survey, researchers said in a study to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Cancer. In contrast, 51% of participants in a control group did not.
The physical and psychological benefits of exercise are well-documented. But this study is the first to apply scientific methodology to looking at how weight training helps women who have had breast cancer.
"This may seem like common sense to most folks, but there's really been no literature or science where researchers tried to quantify and verify the effect," said Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.
Researchers recruited 86 women from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in late 2001 and early 2002. Each of the women had completed successful treatment of breast cancer within the previous three years. Half the women were assigned to an exercise group. For three months they met twice a week with personal fitness trainers to develop a weight-lifting regimen. They were then encouraged to follow it for another three months. The second group had no such regimen.
Researchers asked women in both groups a series of questions about physical well-being, marital happiness, sexual activity, and other aspects of life. Women in the exercise group had a modest improvement over members of the nonexercising group, Lichtenfeld noted. However, the women in the exercise group said they felt they had more strength, speed, and self-confidence as a result of the workouts. It appears the weight lifting helped them regain a feeling of control of their bodies, researchers said.
The more the women improved on bench press, the better they said they felt overall. That may be because breast cancer treatment can reduce the ability to lift and carry things, said Kathryn Schmitz, a University of Pennsylvania researcher who coauthored the study.
The study also tried to observe weight training's effect on depression. The researchers didn't measure any significant effect, but they said that might be because such a small number of women were deemed to suffer from depression at the outset of the study. (AP)
DON'T MISS THE OUT100 SPECIAL 3 DAY MARATHON STARTING NOVEMBER 24TH!
Journey through the year’s influential Out100 – the most iconic and long-standing celebration of LGBTQ+ icons and allies – in a 1-hour television special spotlighting the LGBTQ+ people shaping the world today.
WATCH & LIVESTREAM ON ADVOCATECHANNEL.COM
AND ON THE ADVOCATE CHANNEL APP
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lauren Boebert Caught Fondling Date’s Genitals During Family-Friendly Musical: Video
September 15 2023 11:20 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
In Search of a Safe Space, Club Q Shooting Survivors Look for Ways to Push Forward Without Fear
November 19 2023 12:34 PM
Reflecting on 20 Years of Making the Impossible Possible – and the Challenges Ahead
November 18 2023 1:41 PM
20 Years Ago Today Massachusetts Made History by Ruling in Favor of Marriage Equality
November 18 2023 1:23 PM
Russia Announces Chilling Move to Label 'International Public LGBT Movement' as 'Extremist'
November 18 2023 10:27 AM
Trans Boys Sue University of Missouri Over Denying Them Gender-Affirming Care
November 17 2023 5:41 PM
Ex-Chicago Police Sergeant Guilty in Transgender Woman’s Sexual Assault Case
November 17 2023 1:54 PM
Missing South Carolina Transgender Woman Found Dead. Her Family Has Questions
November 17 2023 12:43 PM