Exercise After Cancer - FMSS Flexibility, Mobility, Stability & Strength Training after Craniotomy & Radiation Treatment

FLEXIBILITY

MOBILITY

STABILITY

STRENGTH

Flexibility, mobility, stability and strength training are vital components of post-surgical rehabilitation after a craniotomy and radiation treatment. As I started exercising again, my primary goal was to move my body efficiently with a strong base of overall body control. More control over the body equals less stress on the body. Sounds simple, but it was something I had to actively and persistently work at after my surgery. My craniotomy effected my entire body and I needed a complete overhaul to my exercise program.

Flexibility after Craniotomy and Radiation

I started with flexibility because I needed to improve my range of movement in order to move on to harder exercises. By increasing your range of movement you save vital energy, improve your technique and reduce the chance of injury. A couple weeks after my craniotomy I started stretching. Nothing crazy - just enough to get my blood and muscles moving a little. After a week or two I increased my stretching exercises to twice a day.

Mobility after Craniotomy and Radiation

Mobility is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. This was definitely the most crucial part of my rehabilitation. While flexibility allows you to get deep into a particular stretch or position, mobility allows you to move from that deep stretch or position into another one, smoothly and without difficulty. If you have great mobility, you're able to move functionally and efficiently with little to no restrictions or difficulty. This should really be everyone's goal, and since I was desperate to just feel and move like a "normal" person again, I definitely focused the most on this type of exercise.

Once I was able to get down on the floor, I started doing daily mobility exercises. I cannot emphasize enough what a HUGE difference mobility exercises made in the fluidity of my movements and I highly recommend them. Most people overlook mobility when they choose an exercise program, but if you want to move quickly and easily again, mobility is the way to go. I've linked my favorite online trainer here. Kelsey really emphasizes mobility exercises in her routines. You can find all the mobility exercises I did right on her website.

Stability after Craniotomy and Radiation

Stability allows you to perform complex athletic movements that require coordination, balance, and technical skill while reducing your risk of injury. After having your skull cut open and your brain poked at, stability exercises are so important! And so hard! Stability and balance is something I had to work at consistently for months after my surgery. There are so many obvious physical benefits to stability and balance training, but there is also some research that suggests that balance training can improve memory and spatial cognition as well! Literally a no-brainer.

Strength Training after Craniotomy and Radiation

Strength training reduces body fat, increases lean muscle mass, and burns calories. Once I was ready to work on strength training, I felt like it was time to get back in the gym with my trainer. We focused on increasing my balance and coordination with light weights before we began adding in heavier weights. A good rule of thumb is to listen to your body. If you feel strong enough to lift, and you have good balance skills, then you can feel free to begin lifting light to moderate weights again. If you can't make it to a gym, both Melissa Wood and Kelsey Rose incorporate stability and light strength training into their programs. Melissa Woods incorporates Bala bands into her workouts, which I loved. I used my Bala bands every single night during recovery. Click here to read more about my favorite online fitness programs and the workout products that helped me the most during recovery.

The bottom line here is that recovery after brain cancer is HARD. It's a fight we have to fight every single day. Add to that the possibility of cancer recurrence looming over our heads and the possibility that we will put in all this work just to have to start again at zero! Trust me, I've pulled myself out of that barrel of negativity too many times to count. But I believe in mind over matter, and I'm determined to fight for my life and my health, no matter what. We must have the discipline to keep our bodies strong and healthy and believe that a positive outcome will result. What other choice is there really? You're here and you're reading this post, which means you probably survived the worst part of your cancer journey. So put on those sneakers and get to work!