Nation’s Cancer Survivorship

Nordic Medical
Pole Walking

Exercise Program

Dr. Ernie Bodai, Founder of Kaiser’s Breast Cancer Survivorship Institute, also pioneered the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.

Nordic Pole Walking provides all four types of exercises!
ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, BALANCE, and FLEXIBILITY

Improve Your Endurance – Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you do the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

Improve Your Strength – To strengthen your muscles, you need to lift or push weight. Stronger muscles can make it easier to do everyday things like get up from a chair, climb stairs, carry groceries, open jars, and even play with your grandchildren. Lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance.

Improve Your Balance – Each year, more than 2 million older Americans go to the emergency room because of fall-related injuries. Balance exercises can help prevent falls and avoid the disability that may result from falling.

Improve Your Flexibility – Flexibility, or stretching, exercises give you more freedom of movement for your physical activities and for everyday activities such as getting dressed and reaching objects on a shelf. Stretching exercises can improve your flexibility, but they will not improve your strength or endurance.

10+ Health Benefits gained
with each Step of Nordic Pole Walking!

Each step provides:

Better Posture, Balance and Walking Gait
Activates 90% of your body musculature
Increases levels of Dopamine, new brain cells, helps self-regulate brain to calm down
An Aerobic Resistant/Cross motor exercise generates better Brain Function
Reduces 30% stress and pain from back, hips, knees and ankles, improves Endurance
Improves Immune, Vascular and Lymphatics
Burns 22-47% more Calories than regular walking
Strengthens and balances the Para- Spinal Muscles
Improves your mood and restful SLEEP

Nordic Walking is Full Body, Aerobic, Resistance, and Cross Motor Function Exercise

Lifestyle Medicine –
The Cancer Prescription

This short film is based on a detailed article written by Dr. Ernie Bodai and colleagues about the influence of lifestyle on Cancer.

Nordic walking may benefit breast cancer patients

(Source: Reuters Health, Carolyn Crist,
August 16, 2019)
Nordic walking, an aerobic activity performed with walking poles similar to ski poles, may benefit patients with breast cancer, according to a review of existing research.
The low-impact exercise improved swelling, physical fitness, disability and quality of life, the study authors conclude in the European Journal of Cancer Care.
“The main strategy in rehabilitation for women with breast cancer is a change of habits, where physical exercise is a fundamental tool,” said study co-author Jorge Torres of the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Sports at the University of Vigo in Pontevedra, Spain.

See the entire article:
Nordic walking may benefit breast cancer patients

Lymphedema Treatment after Breast Cancer

Lymphedema is swelling in the arm or hand and sometimes in the breast or chest wall that can be very uncomfortable.
It can occur when some or all of the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes are removed as part of treatment for breast cancer. It can also happen after the axillary lymph nodes have received radiation. In both instances, the lymphatic fluid that’s normally filtered from the tissue collects and causes swelling. It can occur in a male or female where lymph nodes have been removed or received radiation can affect both upper and lower extremities.
Signs of lymphedema include:
• visible swelling in the arm, hand, breast, chest wall or legs.
• a sensation of heaviness, achiness, or tightness in the extremities.
• easy fatigue or pain in the extremities.
Lymphedema after breast cancer surgery or radiation therapy, For many women, lymphedema therapy can be extremely helpful. It’s important to note that there is no known cure for lymphedema at this time.
What Is Lymphedema Therapy?
Also known as complete decongestive therapy (CDT), it brings together three major therapies — massage, compression, and exercise. It also involves self-care related to skin health, eating well, and other recommendations you can practice at home.
Lymphedema exercises are another key component of complete decongestive therapy. The purpose of exercises for lymphedema is to reduce the volume of lymphatic fluid in the arm or other affected area.
If CDT is not effective, there are other options you may want to consider. Some women choose to have a new, innovative surgery called lymph node transplant. designed to improve lymphatic circulation and decrease symptoms.

For more information on Lymphedema