Living a Healthy Life After a Medical Setback
- Ultra-runner Fran Gonzalez-Ibar, 57, is a fitness guru and grandmother of eight grandchildren. She’s run marathons in 18 countries despite suffering a debilitating leg injury. She serves as a beacon of inspiration for many women worried about aging. She promotes adopting a healthy lifestyle to help them look and feel great.
- Living a healthy lifestyle during (if you can) and after treatment offers cancer patients many benefits.
- SurvivorNet experts recommend regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management for cancer survivors to lead healthy lives. They may also recommend regular checks for recurrence.
- One benefit of maintaining optimal health for those with cancer is they are more likely to endure treatment better and experience fewer side effects, MD Anderson’s Dr. Sairah Ahmed told SurvivorNet.
Fran Gonzalez-Ibar is a 57-year-old grandmother and ultra-runner. She’s run marathon races in over a dozen countries, so it’s no surprise that she is in incredible shape. She’s defied age and athleticism norms for years while positively inspiring women worried about aging. “Running makes me feel free and alive,” Gonzalez-Ibar
said in an Instagram video showing her running in short shorts down a rugged yet picturesque path.
“Exercise and a healthy diet become even more important as we age, and it shouldn’t be an option we fit in after doing everything else in our day. It’s not a 3-month healthy challenge. It’s about changing your habits for a better life… forever,” Gonzalez-Ibar said. What makes her physical fitness just shy of her golden years more remarkable is that she underwent double achilles surgery, which is located near the upper ankle.
“My fitness is where it was pre-surgery, and today it’s not where I want it to be, but that doesn’t stop me from taking action on what I can do right now,” she said. Gonzalez-Ibar says she’s run races in 18 different countries. Before embarking on her fitness adventure, she worked as a school principal and a flight attendant. She and her husband also raised five children and now have eight grandchildren. She also provides health coaching, offers nutrition advice, and helps women going through menopause.
Gonzalez outlines three things she’s learned since entering her 50s. “It’s not easy to get older…and you need to work harder to be fit and strong,” she says. “It’s never too late to find a new passion…you are never too old to change your path,” she says, and finally, she encourages others—especially women—to invest in their health. The takeaway for cancer patients is to stay focused on their physical health during (if they can) and after completing treatment.
Healthy Lifestyle: Data Driven Guidance
Living a Healthy Lifestyle
General recommendations for a healthy lifestyle are similar whether you have cancer or not.
Dr. Ken Miller , the Director of Outpatient Oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, shared some guidelines for cancer survivors who are concerned about a recurrence with SurvivorNet:
- Exercise at least two hours a week, and walking counts.
- Eat a low-fat diet.
- Eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society recommends aiming for two to three cups of vibrant vegetables and fruits each day.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that being obese can increase your risk for several types of cancer.
WATCH: What to know about diet and exercise if you have cancer. “The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the fewer side effects you’ll have and the faster you’ll get back to your normal quality of life,”
Dr. Sairah Ahmed told SurvivorNet. Dr. Ahmed is an associate professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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