Celebrating “Movember”
Since 2003, the Movember charity has helped provide education and resources to support men’s health with a focus on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
According to the us.movember.com website, the global statistics for these conditions is staggering.
- Prostate cancer affects around 10.8 million men
- Testicular cancer is the leading cause of cancer in young men
- 1 man dies by suicide every minute of every day
Men die on average, 5 years earlier than women, and largely for preventable reasons.
According to the American Cancer Society’s Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, engaging in physical activity is associated with a lower risk for several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Physical activity can help regulate some hormones that contribute to cancer development and help keep the immune system healthy.
Regular exercise also helps you to stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese is a factor in an estimated 14-20% of cancer deaths in the US.
Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 min of vigorous-intensity exercise each week, preferably spread throughout the week.
Exercise is also important in helping cancer survivors stay healthy and cancer free. There are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the US. The American Cancer Society recommends all cancer survivors get a physical activity assessment from a qualified professional.
Many common impairments in patients with cancer are musculoskeletal. Physical Therapists are experts in the musculoskeletal system. In fact, one study compared the musculoskeletal knowledge of physical therapists with a larger number of specialty physician groups, and only orthopedic surgeons scored higher than physical therapists.
Main Street Therapy Partners has several clinics across multiple states that offer wellness screens for patients to help make recommendations for an exercise program or physical therapy services if warranted. These screens are provided by licensed physical therapists with expertise in the musculoskeletal system and exercise for health individuals and people at any stage of cancer.
November is also a time for reflecting on all that we are thankful for. This “Movember”, be thankful for all the special men in your life and make sure they take care of themselves so they can live a long healthy life!