Enhancing Cancer Survival: The Power of Yoga and Walking

Following the conclusion of the trial, the subjects underwent a battery of blood tests. The findings revealed that those who practiced yoga had “significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory markers” than the other group.

“Our data suggest that yoga significantly reduces inflammation among cancer survivors,” wrote one of the study authors in a report published at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting – the world’s largest cancer conference.

“Clinicians should consider prescribing yoga for survivors experiencing inflammation, which may lead to a high chronic toxicity burden and increased risk of progression, recurrence, and second cancers,” they added.

Prescribing Yoga and Wellness for Cancer Patients

Meanwhile, Karen Mustian, the lead researcher, stated that she was urging doctors to suggest yoga as an option to their cancer patients.

“In the last 20 years, we’ve moved beyond asking the question, should we be encouraging things like traditional exercise yoga, tai chi for patients? The answer is yes,” said Mustian.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre discovered that home-based exercise prescriptions can enhance outcomes in cancer patients in another trial. This time, 100 and 73 patients aged 60 and up were included in the research and divided into two groups: yoga and health education classes.

Yoga was found to assist reduce fatigue and maintain quality of life. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that yoga was a game changer and that doctors needed to overcome their preconceived assumptions about the ancient Indian practice (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Motivations for Adopting and Maintaining a Yoga Practice: A National Cross-Sectional Survey