Yoga is good for the recovery of cancer patients

A preliminary study in the United States shows that practicing yoga during radiation therapy in breast cancer patients can help restore their physical functions and health.

According to Xinhua Agency, Atlanta (United States), experts from the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center announced the research results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology on the 4th. The researchers randomly selected 62 breast cancer patients who were undergoing radiotherapy after surgery and divided these women, with an average age of 52, into two groups for a comparative study. One group practiced yoga twice a week, while the other group did not participate in yoga classes.

Six weeks later, through detailed questionnaires and physical tests on the study subjects, the researchers found that the physical functions of the patients who participated in yoga courses were improved, and their abilities to walk, climb stairs, and lift heavy objects were better than those of the control group. Some breast cancer patients also said that after practicing yoga, their fatigue has been relieved and their sleep quality has improved.

Yoga emphasizes strengthening the flexibility of the practitioner's body through a series of soothing movements and relaxing the practitioner's body and mind through the adjustment of breathing. The yoga courses designed by the researchers for patients are relatively simple and avoid requiring patients to perform difficult and large movements. The researchers said they will next further determine whether the benefits of yoga for breast cancer patients come from exercise itself or from the psychological effects of the patient. (Internship Editor: Wu Jinyu)