The Cancer Survivor's Garden Companion. Jenny Peterson
Sit on the edge of your raised beds and stretch to the middle to maintain them.
• Avoid twisting your spine.
• Work with small instead of heavy loads.
• When lifting and carrying, keep objects close to your body.
• With stretching activities, you want to feel a nice stretch, not pain. If you experience pain, back off.
• Stay hydrated.
Being Smart
• Work slowly and gently.
• Take a break every 20 minutes.
• Stretch before and after gardening.
• Bend with knees, not from waist.
• Alternate activities to avoid injury.
• Keep your spine in neutral position.
Strong Bones
Cancer doesn’t care how old you are. I know many people who were diagnosed in their 20s and 30s as well as in their 50s and 60s (and beyond). So it may seem odd that a young person might need to think about keeping their bones strong, because we associate weak bones with age, don’t we? But unfortunately, cancer patients who have had chemotherapy, steroid medications or hormone therapy can suffer from osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones. There are many things you can do to increase your bone strength – avoid tobacco products, limit alcohol, eat foods high in Vitamin D and calcium (hello, spinach, kale and okra!), and get regular exercise. Are you seeing your garden here?
Most any weight-bearing exercise will increase your bone strength, which is always a good thing, but particularly if you’ve gone through cancer treatment. Garden chores provide great opportunities for building bones, and while they may seem like they are the same types of activities as those I suggested for cardio (there is some overlap), the name of the game here is “slow and steady.” And, as always, if you have recently had surgery or have any other limitation, do check with your doctor about appropriate and safe weight limits for lifting or carrying.
• Moving large pots or containers – be sure they are empty, though.
• Rearranging your patio furniture.
• Hauling one mulch bag at a time (think “pack mule,” this isn’t a race).
• Light wheelbarrowing on level ground.
• Turning the compost pile.
• Dragging tree limbs for disposal (not too heavy, though!).
• Dragging the hose around the garden (a 50' water-filled hose can be heavy).
• Unloading a 5-gallon plant from the back of your car.
Yoga
The benefits of yoga are numerous – increased flexibility, balance, circulation, positive lymphatic flow and mood enhancing – but how about yoga outside? We’ve all seen people in parks participating in public yoga, so consider bringing that same concept to your own backyard. Practicing yoga in the fresh air in the beauty of your own garden (or on your patio, deck or lawn) adds another layer of healing to this already restorative activity.
If you’ve practiced yoga before, you know there are many different types. I used to do some very powerful yoga before my diagnosis, and then because I developed lymphedema, I had to reconsider my yoga practice. With the help of Rhonda, one of my lymphedema rehab therapists, I started with a very gentle type of yoga called “Restorative.” I practiced that type for a number of months before slowly getting into more challenging poses. I’m still not where I was before, but I’m okay with it. If you are starting or restarting your yoga practice, here’s a rundown of some of the more popular types of yoga and how they may or may not be what you need:
RESTORATIVE: Restorative yoga does not resemble the type of yoga most of us picture in our heads – the poses are almost all lying down, and your body is supported with blocks and straps so you can hold positions for a number of minutes. It’s perfect for people going through treatment, recovery, or simply needing a healing session to induce calm and peace. It can also include chanting or gongs if you attend a class, but in your own practice, it’s simply relaxing.
BIKRAM: This is “hot” yoga, where the studio is heated to 105 degrees F, with 40% humidity. The heat loosens your muscles and increases your ability to stretch. It’s comprised of a series of 26 poses completed twice, sandwiched in between breath work. Check with your doctor or rehab therapist first – those with lymphedema should avoid this, as heat exacerbates the associated swelling.
KUNDALINI: A gentler form of yoga, Kundalini yoga is 50 percent exercise, 20 percent breath work, 20 percent meditation, and 10 percent relaxation. It typically includes chanting, so if you are uncomfortable with this, you might want to choose a different type of yoga, but it’s a great one for those going through or recovery from treatment.
HATHA: Ideal for beginners, Hatha yoga refers to any practice that combines poses with breathing techniques. Do it at your own pace to increase flexibility and balance and to induce calm.
VINYASA: This is a fairly fast-paced yoga, often called “power yoga,” that requires constant movement through a flowing series of lunging, stretching and bending. You can work up to this type of yoga, but it is not recommended for those who have recently had surgery or treatment.
ASHTANGA: Ashtanga is a physically challenging yoga for seasoned practitioners, using up to 70 poses including back bends, inversion poses and sun salutations. This will most likely not be recommended initially, but it is definitely a type of yoga that you can work up to over a longer period of time.
My advice is to always check with your doctor or rehab therapist first (are you getting tired of hearing me say that yet?), start slow even though you may be experienced, and drop your expectation of doing a perfect Crane pose. Don’t even make me laugh – I am so far away from Crane that it’s kind of ridiculous. I may never do the Crane pose because it’s a lot of weight on your arms, but it’s possible I can work my way up to it. In the beginning, experiment with the standing and sitting poses as well as the ones that are performed lying down, as your balance may be a bit off for a while.
If you have an iPad or similar tablet, look up some apps for yoga to help you with your practice. I use one called “Daily Yoga” that has been my guide for about two years now. It offers different levels and lengths of sessions, and I started using it specifically because it included sessions using only seated or standing poses.
When I finished treatment, I was just shy of my 50th birthday. My fiancé is a “doer” and really wanted to give me something that would be useful to me as I healed. I had balance issues created by nerve damage in my feet from chemotherapy, I had scar tissue that continually wanted to pull my left arm down, my left side was weaker than my right, and I was fighting the Mood Rollercoaster. I also love to practice yoga. So, while I was gone for a week at a flower and garden show, Brett got to work with our carpenter friend, Jim, and built me a yoga deck.
I’d showed him pictures of similar decks before, but always followed with, “Wouldn’t that be cool if…” What a lucky woman I am that I have a mate who took my words to heart! I returned from the trip to find a newly built yoga deck adjacent