Hello Mr Doc, I've been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer & have undergone treatment to no avail. It is my belief that in order for my body and mind to fend off a disease, they both must first be strengthened. My question is; Can martial arts achieve this for me, and if so how & where do I begin training? I've tried everything else that I've been instructed to do, & honestly, i do not want to die, nor do I accept that it is my time. Could u please lend me any advice u may have? Much Thanks!
Here's Randozo's commentary:
Unfortunately, we're talking about something more serious than a disease caused by a pathogen and you are past the stage where strengthening would help prevent the onset of this particular condition. And consider that cancer is oblivious to how healthy a body is - it will make a home wherever it can.
Almost any physical activity of sufficient intensity will trigger an adaptive response - i.e. increased strength/endurance etc. However this can only occur when the body has sufficient ability to recuperate. When a person is ill or injured, that ability is compromised since the body must divert resources from maintaining health to healing damage. If you exceed your ability to recuperate - you will increase your stress response and become more vulnerable to disease and injury. You cannot strengthen an injury - it has to be repaired first. Therein lies the difficulty of your situation. I've seen people gain the most benefit by doing modest things to minimize the damage of an illness while maintaining as high a level of function as possible. Martial arts is a physical endeavor- it's not magic- the principles above apply. Be careful of high expectations and you can try to practice some simple exercises first to see how your body responds before indulging in vigorous training. Practice with the intent to learn, not to cure yourself. Set good roots for the next life (if you believe such a thing) and prepare yourself. There are many texts that deal directly with confronting our mortality and you may find them of some use. Not everyone with terminal cancer dies from cancer - some choke, some get another disease, some survive. But there is no certainty other than we all will meet the same fate for different reasons regardless of our best efforts to avoid it. Live well for as long as you're alive. As for martial training or any physical exercise, work within your capacity and consult with your doctors about your intention to start a program and its suitability for your condition.
You can check out any number of DVDs if you have no access to an instructor but they are no substitute for actual instruction - primarily good for reference. simple calisthenics like the 8 section exercises are a good place to start for many people, but since I don't know your current physical state I can't say it's right for you and don't want you to construe this as medical advice.
Hope this helps and I wish you well.
Almost any physical activity of sufficient intensity will trigger an adaptive response - i.e. increased strength/endurance etc. However this can only occur when the body has sufficient ability to recuperate. When a person is ill or injured, that ability is compromised since the body must divert resources from maintaining health to healing damage. If you exceed your ability to recuperate - you will increase your stress response and become more vulnerable to disease and injury. You cannot strengthen an injury - it has to be repaired first. Therein lies the difficulty of your situation. I've seen people gain the most benefit by doing modest things to minimize the damage of an illness while maintaining as high a level of function as possible. Martial arts is a physical endeavor- it's not magic- the principles above apply. Be careful of high expectations and you can try to practice some simple exercises first to see how your body responds before indulging in vigorous training. Practice with the intent to learn, not to cure yourself. Set good roots for the next life (if you believe such a thing) and prepare yourself. There are many texts that deal directly with confronting our mortality and you may find them of some use. Not everyone with terminal cancer dies from cancer - some choke, some get another disease, some survive. But there is no certainty other than we all will meet the same fate for different reasons regardless of our best efforts to avoid it. Live well for as long as you're alive. As for martial training or any physical exercise, work within your capacity and consult with your doctors about your intention to start a program and its suitability for your condition.
You can check out any number of DVDs if you have no access to an instructor but they are no substitute for actual instruction - primarily good for reference. simple calisthenics like the 8 section exercises are a good place to start for many people, but since I don't know your current physical state I can't say it's right for you and don't want you to construe this as medical advice.
Hope this helps and I wish you well.
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