Pre-surgery Exercise and Diet Help Ease Recovery After Colon Cancer Surgery
According to new studies, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet and practicing relaxation techniques in the weeks before colon cancer surgery could actually help a person recover quicker.
The results came from a study consisting of 38 patients. These patients were put through a “prehabilitation” program for roughly 24 days. During the prehabilitation, they took part in approximately 50 minutes of physical exercise three days a week, and were administered a personalized nutrition program that included whey protein supplementation. They were also given lessons for relaxation techniques to help reduce stress.
After surgery, patients who were put through the prehabilitation program were compared to another group of patients who were only put through the rehabilitation program, and were not given pre-surgery prep. Researchers found that those patients who had been given prehabilitation preparation before the surgery walked approximately 25 meters longer in six minutes, compared to patients in the group that did not undergo prehabilitation. According to the researchers, this clearly indicates that rehabilitation helps a person recover after a surgery, and better prepares them for the stresses of surgery.