Question
What are some talking points that you use with patients to encourage them to exercise?
Answer
I often use the saying, “A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest.” It is very simple. I also tell them that they are not going to get any stronger lying in bed. That is just not the way that the body works. The body needs to be moved. Their heart, their lungs, their muscles need to move. If they are not moving them, they are going to get weaker and weaker. If the patient is lying in bed, sometimes you really have to explain to them that they are putting themselves at risk of being there long-term if they do not get up.
Most patients who have cancer have a great fear of dying. They know that people die from cancer, and these patients don’t want to. Convincing them to move is very different than explaining to someone who is mobile that they should be on an exercise program. As we all know, there are a lot of people in our country who are not exercising, but if they are up and moving around, sometimes it is harder to convince them to get on a true exercise program. People who are sitting in bed much of the day are sometimes easier to get up and going. It is like going from 0 to something with the next step being a true exercise program.
