When participants put down the weights and turned off the treadmills after 10 weeks of exercising, their mental well-being quickly fell out of shape and their depression scores increased 44 percent. The non-exercisers began the same program for the second 10 weeks, and their depression scores dropped by 42 percent. Research already shows that women wrestle with depression and anxiety after cancer surgery, sometimes for years, says Michelle Segar, a graduate student who was co-author of the study with Victor Katch, a professor of movement science. Exercise helps survivors handle the psycho-social issues of recovery, she says. Although it doesn't burn any calories for me, I love helping other women get back into a healthy routine.
Physicians can do their part by prescribing a little perspiration.
Women in the study whose doctors recommended that they exercise were much more likely to do so regularly than those without the white-coat stamp of approval. Women routinely consider their risk from family members to be much higher than it is, adds Dr. Eugene Pergament, director of the reproductive genetics program at Northwestern Memorial. Pergament said most patients need to learn more about genetic testing before submitting to any screening. He applauds testing labs that insist on genetic counseling for patients before blood is analyzed for defective genes. His program employs five counselors, including Wonderlick.