Weightlifting Shown to Help Breast Cancer Recovery

If you or anyone you know has undergone surgery for breast cancer, then you probably know that swelling of the chest and arms is a common side affect. However, researchers have discovered that an unlikely source of exercise could be the answer: weightlifting. Lynn Panton, the study author and professor of exercise science at Florida State Universtiy said, "At one time, women were told they shouldn't do upper-body activities after surgery and treatment because doctors thought it could actually cause swelling to become worse." But Panton says that, since post-surgery swelling is typically due to the removal of important lymph nodes, which normally filter out harmful substances. Without those lymph nodes, the substances can build up. Panton says it's actually the flow of blood that breaks down those build ups and reduces the swelling.