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Exercise is good for every disease, every disease state, and every age. As a general matter, it is even good while undergoing a treatment. There is generally no downside to exercising.

Exercise does not have to be running a marathon or lifting heavy weights. Exercise can be as mild as waving your arms, climbing stairs, or walking. (Activity such as going to the store is not exercise. Activities are tiring, but they don't improve flexibility, strength or endurance like exercise does). 

Exercise is empowering. It also helps your body function at its best to help fight a health condition and/or prevent a recurrence. Exercise also improves mood, energy levels and quality of life. Exercise helps with such conditions as depression, anxiety, fatigue, nausea, pain, difficulty sleeping, and diarrhea. Dr. C. Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General, has argued that a lifestyle without exercise is equivalent to smoking a full pack of cigarettes every day.

Now is the time to start. There are even exercises to do if you are confined in bed. Exercise can be adapted if your health changes.

What exercise to do and how to do it is individual.

The key is to gradually increase your energy expenditure rather than worrying about maximizing it - and to do it consistently. 

A study in Journal of Preventive Medicine suggested that a half hour a day of exercise, six days weekly, might be ideal. Exercise does not have to be all at once. For example, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes, you can do it in short increments of a few minutes each, three times a day.

Think about how to incorporate more exercise into your every day life. For instance:

• Instead of the escalator or elevator, take the stairs. If you live on the 8th floor and you're not up to that much exercise, get off on the 5th or 6th floor and walk up from there.
• Get off one stop early when taking public transportation and walk to your destination.
• Socialize while you exericise. For example, consider doubles tennis or joining an exercise class or group.
• Walk a dog.

Do not get thrown by lapses, either because of your health condition, or an injury, or because you have to skip your routine for any other reason. Get back to exercise as soon as you can.

To stay motivated, consider the following tips that have worked for other people:

• Keep a journal of your progress.
• Work out with a buddy, or with a personal trainer. (If you use a trainer, keep in mind that anyone can call him or herself a personal trainer. Choose one with care. Preferably look for a person who is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine: www.acsm.org ).
• If you have children, be a role model for making healthy choices. Encourage your whole family to get outside and get active – go for a hike or organize a family game.

Before beginning exercise, check with your primary care doctor and your specialist to be sure the exercise you are considering is safe and appropriate for your condition, medications and situation. Consult both doctors because your primary care doctor may not be aware of particular needs relating to your health condition. Your specialist may not be aware of needs relating to the rest of your body and/or circumstances.

You can heighten the impact of exercise with good nutrition, rest, and developing your own methods of coping with stress.

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