Contents:
- Medical Video: Keeping Your Liver Healthy
- What are the benefits of exercise for liver health?
- What sports are suitable for liver cancer sufferers?
Medical Video: Keeping Your Liver Healthy
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), liver cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. However, that does not mean liver cancer patients cannot survive. There are various ways to support your condition by undergoing lifestyle changes, for example by exercising regularly. Before starting the exercise, here are some things you should know about exercise for people with liver cancer.
What are the benefits of exercise for liver health?
Exercising regularly can prevent liver disease getting worse. People who exercise regularly are shown to have better physical and mental health conditions. Research has also shown that people who regularly exercise usually respond to treatment better and the recovery process is classified as faster. If you have liver cancer, you might get some benefits from exercising, such as the following:
- Sports make the body fitter while increasing self-image. This can make you feel good mentally. A good mental condition can support the immune system, which benefits patients in fighting liver cancer.
- Exercise gives an energy boost. Most liver cancer patients experience fatigue. Fatigue is the most common symptom besides pain. Fatigue can make blood flow disrupted. By exercising, you can smooth blood flow while increasing energy.
- Exercise can also reduce the amount of body fat. Thus, fat in the liver can also be reduced so that the liver work more lightly.
Exercise with contraction and relaxation can train several organs including the liver. This exercise will increase blood flow to the liver and can protect the liver from tissue shrinkage (atrophy).
What sports are suitable for liver cancer sufferers?
Some physical sports for people with liver cancer are generally different from sports for healthy people. There are four criteria for physical activity that can be carried out by patients with liver cancer, namely:
- Simple
- Easy to learn
- Do not demand big commitments
- Can be done while lying down and sitting at home.
Most researchers recommend a combination of aerobics and exercise to hold back the burden of liver cancer sufferers.
Aerobic exercise focuses on the cardiovascular system so that the level of oxygen in the blood can increase. Aerobic exercise is easy to do for liver cancer patients because of repeated movements. Large muscle movements increase the heart rate and change your breathing pattern. In addition to increasing the amount of oxygen, aerobic exercise can also accelerate the delivery of oxygen to vital organs, including your liver.
Weight-bearing exercises can increase bone and muscle strength. Liver disease generally causes bones to be more prone to osteoporosis. That is the reason why healthy bones and muscles are very important to maintain. In addition, weight training can also reduce fat in the body, make the body slimmer, and maintain nutrients can be digested and used by the body optimally.
Make the above exercises a part of your daily routine. Besides physical health, your emotions can also be more controlled after a few weeks of this exercise. While controlling the symptoms of liver cancer during treatment, you can continue to exercise. Sports are proven to have a positive effect on your health for a long time.
Doing regular exercise is a manifestation of concern for one's own health. Exercise can improve the health of body organs including maintaining liver function. Besides being able to maintain liver health, exercise can also improve a patient's mood.
