Practical Lifestyle Habits for Everyday Life
Living with sarcoma often means learning to navigate life alongside ongoing treatment, regular scans, side effects, and uncertainty. Even during periods of stability, fatigue may linger. Eating may feel different. Strength and stamina may not be what they once were. These challenges are real, and they are common.
The good news is that small, everyday habits can help support quality of life. The Life Raft Group recently hosted a webinar with an Dr. Loren Yavelberg, Exercise Oncology Specialist and Dr. Harleen Kaur, Nutritionist, both from the University of Miami to help explain how you can find realistic ways to feel stronger, more supported, and more like yourself while living with sarcoma.
Nutrition: Build Habits, Not Rules
Healthy eating does not mean following a strict diet. It means building simple habits that fit your everyday life. Dr. Kaur stressed that there is no single “best” diet for every patient. Instead, individuals should focus on creating a sustainable eating pattern that works for their specific health needs and lifestyle. Dr. Kaur encouraged participants to build balanced meals by “filling half of their plate with vegetables while incorporating adequate protein, whole grains, healthy fats, and colorful fruits and vegetables”. Consistency, rather than perfection, was emphasized as the key to long-term success.
Treatment side effects can sometimes affect your appetite or digestion. If this happens, try to build flexible habits that work for you right now, rather than chasing a perfect plan. Small routines also help. Prepare meals ahead of time, keep healthy snacks nearby, and eat at regular times each day. The goal is not perfection. It is finding a pattern you can keep up over time.
Communities known as “Blue Zones,” where people often live long and healthy lives, offer a simple reminder that everyday habits matter. During Life Raft Group’s webinar, Dr. Yavelberg referenced the popular documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones and described how researchers have identified several common lifestyle patterns among populations in places such as Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, California.
According to Dr. Yavelberg, these communities share many of the same principles emphasized in lifestyle medicine. “They eat wisely. They have a connected mentality. They move naturally and they have a positive outlook with a general purpose,” he explained. Rather than relying on structured workouts alone, many individuals in these regions stay active through daily activities such as gardening, walking, and completing household tasks by hand. People in these communities tend to eat mostly plant-based foods, stay active, and focus on consistency rather than perfection.
Physical Activity: Every Move Counts
Dr. Yavelberg highlighted the growing body of evidence supporting exercise as an integral part of cancer care. Research has demonstrated that regular physical activity can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, fatigue, quality of life, and treatment tolerance among people with cancer. Importantly, experts now recommend that cancer survivors avoid inactivity whenever possible.
Being active with sarcoma can feel difficult, especially when treatment, side effects, fatigue, or changes in strength make movement more challenging. But physical activity does not have to mean intense workouts. Walking, stretching, taking the stairs, gardening, household activities, or doing a short resistance session at home all count.
Most health guidelines suggest around 150 minutes of moderate activity each week – about 20 to 30 minutes on most days. Adding some strength exercises, such as light weights or resistance bands, can help keep muscles strong and support daily activities.
Every bit of movement counts, and daily activities can be just as important as structured exercise sessions. Staying active can also help reduce fatigue, build strength, and improve quality of life.” Start at your own pace and build up over time.
Sleep: More Important Than You Think
Sleep problems are among the most common concerns reported by people living with cancer. Poor sleep can affect mood, energy, concentration, and the body’s ability to recover.
Sleep is not just about rest – it helps the body recover, supports emotional health, and improves quality of life. Both how long you sleep and how well you sleep matter. If sleep disturbances are affecting daily life, it is important to discuss them with your healthcare team. Making sleep a priority is one of the most effective ways to support overall health and well-being.
Stress Management: Taking Care of Your Mind
Living with sarcoma can bring uncertainty, anxiety, fear of recurrence, and emotional challenges that may continue long after diagnosis. These feelings are common and deserve attention.
Practices such as mindfulness, deep breathing, gentle movement, and spending time on enjoyable activities were highlighted in the webinar as ways to help manage stress. There is no single approach that works for everyone. Finding one or two strategies that feel manageable is often the best place to start. If stress feels overwhelming, speaking with a counselor or joining a support group may also help.
Risky Substances: What to Know About Alcohol
Alcohol is one substance worth taking seriously. Research has linked alcohol to at least seven types of cancer, and it can also disrupt sleep, lower energy levels, and affect recovery.
Dr. Kaur explained that when alcohol is metabolized in the body, it can damage DNA and increase inflammation, both of which may contribute to cancer development and progression. “Alcohol can increase the risk of developing at least seven types of cancers,” she noted, encouraging participants to consider how alcohol consumption may affect their overall health and cancer journey.
Alcohol may also worsen sarcoma treatment side effects or affect how some medications are tolerated.
Understanding the risks and making informed choices can support long-term health and quality of life.
Where to Start
There is no need to change everything at once. Start by taking stock of where you are now and what you would most like to improve. Then choose one area to focus on and begin there.
Living well with sarcoma is not about being perfect. It is about building habits that support health and quality of life.
WATCH NOW: In honor of National Cancer Survivors Month, The Life Raft Group hosted an empowering and informative webinar, “Expert Nutrition & Exercise Advice for Sarcoma Patients,” on June 1. The session featured Dr. Loren Yavelberg, Post-Doctoral Associate, CEP, ACSM-ACS Exercise Oncology Specialist, and Dr. Harleen Kaur, a behavioral scientist with a PhD in Nutrition Sciences, both from the University of Miami.
References
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The Life Raft Group. Expert Nutrition and Exercise Advice for Sarcoma Patients Webinar. June 2026.
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American Cancer Society – Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors
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World Cancer Research Fund
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American College of Lifestyle Medicine
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National Cancer Institute – Office of Cancer Survivorship
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U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk
