Posted 1/13/2011 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
James C. said... Ok, gym rats, so what kind of exercise routine would you devise for a moderately fit, with a little above average stamina, a little under normal strength and able to exercise an hour 3 days a week? Sets, repetitions, of what? I currently do a stationary bike 1 mile daily, with moderate resistance, walk as much as able on very steep hilly terrain (maybe 1/2 mile daily). Not nearly enough, I know. Yeah, I know - ask the trainers. I'd like some idea what we are capable of from people who live in our bodies, not some 20 something who may underestimate or overestimate our abilities.
Hi James, (I have exceeded the 2-paragraph limit, but hopefully have maintained readability)
Some good specifics provided by Skate. While I include in many posts the comment that “I’m not a doctor”, maybe in this case I should begin with “I’m not a exercise physiologist”, or whatever other professions would be relevant here...
That being said, the 1 st -level of guidance I’ve read about is that it doesn’t matter so much what you do, as long as you do something…and walking at a normal or brisk pace can be helpful (leisurely walking, not much benefit). A sedentary lifestyle without regular walking, for example, is a “killer.” This is where the caution should be inserted to discuss with your doctor (I gave a helpful link in the first posting here). You said you are moderately fit and with average stamina, so you are past the 1 st -level.
Moving up to the next level, some guidance gets more specific. On 1/10/11 in another thread about exercise, NEIrish quoted a published study which included this (underlining added by me):
The study, involving more than 2,000 survivors of nonmetastatic prostate cancer, found those who walked at a normal to brisk pace for at least 90 minutes a week had a 46% lower mortality hazard -- and three or more hours of vigorous physical activity each week lowered the hazard to 49%, according to Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues.
So, walking or vigorous exercise both improve overall mortality by about same amount…might as well just walk for overall mortality.
Walking had a nonsignificant but inverse relationship with prostate cancer-specific mortality, whereas three hours of vigorous activity was associated with a statistically significant 61% reduction in the hazard, Kenfield and co-authors wrote online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
So, vigorous exercise made a significant impact on PC-specific mortality …so better to workout harder after all. Here’s how the article said the same thing:
"Our results suggest that among men with prostate cancer, moderate physical activity may improve overall survival, whereas a greater amount of activity is necessary to improve prostate cancer-specific survival," the authors concluded.
So, from what you wrote, maybe you need to pick up the vigor a little bit. You said that you rode the stationary bike for about 1 mile daily…moderate resistance, but 1 mile at a moderate bike pace would take about 5 minutes (12 mph).
If you are ready to take it up a level, I have recommended reading…a book I read last fall, called “ Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy – Until You Are 80 or Beyond ,” by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge (board certified internist). While it is not a book specifically about prostate cancer, they address each of the “big three” dimensions of holistic prostate cancer health—exercise, diet/nutrition, and stress reduction (or “connecting”, as they call it).
The authors speak to all audiences—those who are already regular exercisers, and those who are not. Dr. Lodge was asked: “Can you tell who’s going to stick with living healthier and make a change?” His response was:
“The person who has been an OK exerciser, who has a pretty good social circle and who has a lot of interests will get the message very well—it’s just a matter of providing support and encouragement. To the person who comes in 100 pounds overweight, gets no exercise and is lonely and isolated, I would begin by saying: “Go to the gym every day. I don’t care what you physically do, just walk in the door. And come back to me in a month.” The only people who have a very low chance are the people who did not want to be there in the beginning. And that turns out to be the minority.”
In other words, there will be a minority who simply have too much “momentum” in their lives to overcome the knowledge that they need to make a change, even when presented with these illustrative graphs of health vs. age (see GRAPHS ).
Specifically on the exercise, the book includes these “Rules” (and embellishes each of these in detail):
1) Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life
2) Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life
3) Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life
So, I recommend this book…you may find yourself trying harder to squeeze in more than your current 3-days per week. You don’t need fancy exercise routines, but you need to break a decent sweat to get a the “vigorous” workout described in the article posted by NEIrish about improved PC-specific mortality.
You can get the book online for $10…worth the small investment.