Exercise should be an integral part of the care plan for cancer patients – for real. Not as a parenthesis in a brochure, but as a prescription, with the same weight as chemotherapy or blood pressure medication, writes Ulf Bengtsson, wellness entrepreneur, inspirer and founder of WorldClass and Stand Up Stay Strong.
“To my great surprise, I realize that we still have not grasped the obvious: physical exercise should be an integral part of the care plan for cancer patients – for real. Not as a parenthesis in a brochure, but as a prescription, with the same weight as chemotherapy or blood pressure medication.
A new international study, presented at the world’s largest cancer congress in Chicago and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that structured exercise after treatment reduces the risk of dying from recurrent cancer by up to 37%.
It bears repeating: structured exercise after treatment reduces the risk of dying from recurrent cancer by up to 37%. Yet, exercise is still voluntary.
Ulf Bengtsson
It’s better than many drugs – and without their side effects. Yet patients still face the advice to ‘take it easy’. I say the opposite: start moving – with support, at your pace, but with purpose.
When I had to start all over again after back surgery and infection, it was exercise that saved me. Not because I wanted to return to any kind of competition, but because the body needed movement to heal – and the soul to cope.
With the realization that I was far from alone in the fight to get back, the Stand Up Stay Strong initiative was born. It is my response to a system that has forgotten the body’s own power. It’s not about performing, but about living. Exercise as medicine, community as the engine, and the courage to start where you are. To stay alive – physically, mentally and socially.
To politicians and healthcare providers, I say: update the healthcare system with the scientifically proven knowledge we now have. Give patients exercise – with coaches, follow-up and respect for the individual. It costs less than drugs and additional care and saves more lives.
And to those who are struggling right now: exercise is not a requirement – but it can be your turning point.”
Ulf Bengtsson
Wellness entrepreneur, inspirer and founder of WorldClass and Stand Up Stay Strong
Further studies show the positive effects of exercise
37 studies show that exercise is the kryptonite of cancer. After analyzing 37 large studies with hundreds of thousands of participants, the verdict is unequivocal:
Physical activity is not only beneficial for cancer prevention, it is also essential. This comprehensive meta-analysis provides strong evidence that regular exercise that meets WHO guidelines significantly reduces cancer incidence and mortality in several cancer types.
