While cancer survivors are all thankful they have passed the main hurdles of beating down cancer, many survivors still suffer from the residual fatigue associated with their past treatments.

The residual fatigue can manifest in many ways, but the most common problems include the inability to sleep restfully at night and low energy levels.  In a study performed by researchers from the United States, cancer survivors (410 individuals, 96% of which were women.

Better sleep with yoga

Among the women, 75% were breast cancer survivors) were enrolled in a four-week yoga program.  The yoga program consisted of breathing exercises and other similar techniques.

The results were very promising.  Not only did the patients notice that they had less fatigue, but they also reported that their sleep quality improved immensely. Many reported that they no longer had to take their regular dose of sleeping medication too often, just to get a good night's sleep. The results of the study were presented in annual medical conference this year in Chicago.

Benefits of yoga

1. Yoga is for everyone – not just people with special medical needs. Kriya yoga, a special type of meditation technique, was also found to contribute to deeper, more restful sleep, according to a study performed by researchers from the University of Illinois.  Yoga just might be the solution for people who have chronic sleeping troubles.
   
   
2. According to Dr. Alan Kristal, a researcher from the F. H. Cancer Center based in Seattle, practicing yoga has two main benefits: it burns calories and also helps you eat less.  Some yoga variants are more focused on reducing over-eating, which is also good for weight loss efforts.
   
   
3. Yoga improves a person's flexibility, breathing and strength.
   
   
4. Twenty to twenty five minutes of controlled breathing and yoga can help people reduce their stress levels. Less stress means a healthier heart and improved well-being.

In a study performed by Dr. Dean Ornish in California, individuals who combined group therapy and yoga were able to reduce their chances of coronary heart disease. Participants of the study who already had heart problems actually experience a reversal of their medical condition – it appears that the regular calorie-burning provided by yoga was able to make their arteries more supple than before, which directly helps in reducing the chances of a cardiovascular incident.

Sources
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whfoods.com
nutraingredients.com
ngm.nationalgeographic.com