Study shows this exercise might help reduce the side effects of chemo

As we know those suffering from cancer and going through chemo often experience awful bouts of insomnia and excessive drowsiness.

But there might be a natural way to try and ease these symptoms. A study looked at 227 women with breast cancer over a 12-week period and put them into three different groups. The first would join a Tibetan yoga session that focused on breathing techniques, posture, visualisation and meditation. The second group joined a class that incorporated simple stretching, while the last group did neither and simply continued to receive standard care. The women were studied over a 12-week period and went to classes twice a week while being asked to practise what they could at home afterwards.   Researchers found one short term improvement for those attending their yoga session which was that they would experience less moments of tiredness or lack of concentration throughout the day and fewer daily disturbances post-treatment compared to the other groups. According to News Medical, lead author Lorenzo Cohen said,

“While the effects of this intervention were modest, it is encouraging to see that the women who practiced yoga outside of class had improved sleep outcomes over time.”

He said although further research with an extended period of yoga practise is required, it shows there may very well be long-term positive effects to practising yoga during illness if we can bring ourselves to manage it. Yoga help to bring a sense of calmness both physically and mentally, so perhaps there’s something to it.