Zwift Exercise Program Launched For Cancer Patients With Stress And PTSD

The Manhattan Beach, CA based Cancer Journeys Foundation has just created a new indoor “stress buster” cycling program for cancer survivors, courtesy of CEO Robert Hess. The cancer foundation understands how this disease can have long lasting mental effects even on those who survive their battle with its many variants.

Stay at home orders are slowly being lifted but cancer survivors are often among those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. As such, it is generally better for them to continue to self-isolate. Staying at home, however, means less exercise, and so the Cancer Journeys Foundation has set out to create a way for those stuck in such circumstances to relieve their stress within the safety of their homes. Find out more at https://cancerjourneysfoundation.org/cancersurvivorprojects/ptsd-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/.

“It's certainly not the same as riding outdoors, but it's still great exercise and there's no risk of COVID-19 infection. I'm personally leading four 30-minute Zwift sessions every week, and they are open to everyone," says Hess. Cancer survivors interested in participating should visit the events section of the Cancer Journeys Foundation website where they will find more information on the program and how they may join in.

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a lot more common that most people think. The condition is often associated with soldiers in combat situations but PTSD can occur after any traumatic event. Trauma occurs after a shocking and dangerous event during which one may feel that their lives or the lives of those close to them are in danger. Trauma, notably, is not an uncommon experience, given that up to 60% of men and 50% of women will experience some sort of trauma in their lives. For women, this is often due to sexual assault and child sexual abuse, while men often experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster or witness death or injury.

“PTSD can happen to anyone,” says the Cancer Journeys Foundation. “It is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD, many of which are not under that person’s control. For example, if you were directly exposed to the trauma or injured, you are more likely to develop PTSD. 20% of America’s 17 million cancer survivors also are dealing with PTSD. It is normal for a person with cancer or a cancer survivor to have feelings of anxiety, such as worry, fear and dread. However, if these feelings do not go away over time, continue to get worse or affect daily life, they could be a sign of PTSD.”

Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares and flashbacks, avoiding spaces that bring back bad memories, trouble sleeping or concentrating, feelings of anger or fear, loss of interest in activities or relationships, self-destructive behavior, frightening or unwanted thoughts and difficulty feeling emotions. Symptoms may differ from person to person and often come and go. They usually develop within three months of a traumatic event but can occur several months or even years later. People with PTSD need treatment as it can affect their lives to a significant degree and possibly make it harder to deal with other conditions, especially in the case of cancer survivors and cancer patients. Visit https://cancerjourneysfoundation.org/survivor-resources/fitness-nutrition/ for helpful information on nutrition for cancer survivors.

The Cancer Journeys Foundation exists to give cancer survivors the tools they need to survive and help their fellow ‘Journeyers’ as well as those who will come after them. “For the majority of cancer survivors and their caregivers, active support from their medical team stops at the end of their formal course of treatment,” says the Cancer Journeys Foundation. “Cancer affects us all. Every family in America. The Cancer Journeys Foundation provides cancer survivors and their caregivers the information and support they need to develop and implement effective survivorship plans and move forward with their lives.”

The organization was founded by Robert Hess, a cancer survivor. He has been honored by the Los Angeles Times Business Health Leadership awards twice for his prostate cancer advocacy and, in 2015, he was chosen as a National Cancer Champion by the Amgen Corporation’s Breakaway From Cancer program. During his decade-plus experience of being a cancer survivor, research showed Hess that there is no real, structured support for cancer survivors. In response, he founded the Cancer Journeys Foundation in 2016, aiming to create a central digital hub of survivorship information.

Visit https://cancerjourneysfoundation.org/events/ for more information on some of the events hosted by the Cancer Journeys Foundation. Interested parties may reach out to Robert Hess for further details as well.