Weight lifting aids breast cancer patients

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Weight lifting has multiple benefits for breast cancer survivors, U.S. researchers said.

The study, published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, found breast cancer survivors who lift weights regularly feel better about their bodies and appearance and are more satisfied with their intimate relationships compared with survivors who did not lift weights.

The findings were from a randomized controlled trial testing the impact of twice-weekly weight lifting for 12 months.

In a preliminary report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August, Schmitz and colleagues found lifting weights kept lymphedema -- arm-swelling some breast cancer patients sufferer -- from worsening.

"It looks like weight training is not only safe and may make lymphedema flare ups less frequently, but it also seems help women feel better about their bodies," study senior author Kathryn Schmitz of Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center said in a statement. "The results suggest that the act of spending time with your body was the thing that was important -- not the physical results of strength."

Women interested in this type of exercise should begin by learning to do it properly in a slow, progressive program, supervised by a certified fitness professional. Those with lymphedema should also wear a well-fitting compression garment during all exercise sessions.