Exercise In Cancer Care

In recent weeks, you may have noticed a few media reports with regards to exercise and the role it plays in helping people with cancer.  We have known for a while now that there are many benefits for people going through treatment, as well as those recovering.  However, the media hype over the last few weeks has come about as a result of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) releasing a position statement, calling for exercise to become standard procedure in cancer care.

In its own words, COSA calls for:

•  “Exercise to be embedded as part of standard cancer care and to be viewed as an adjunct therapy that helps counteract the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment.

• All members of the multidisciplinary cancer team to promote physical activity and recommend people with cancer adhere to exercise guidelines.

• Best practice cancer care to include referral to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and/or Physiotherapist with experience in cancer care.”

This is on the back of many research articles which demonstrate that suitable exercise can help cancer patients:

• Improve physical function

• Minimise the impact of treatment side effects.

• Attenuate cancer-related fatigue

• Alleviate psychological distress

• Improve quality of life

Here at the studio, our EP Team has been providing exercise oncology services for a few years now.  Our programs are designed to accommodate each individual’s unique circumstance, including cancer type/stage, treatment status, lifestyle and comorbidities.  This may be in the form of one-one exercise sessions, group classes or home-based programs.  If you have any enquiries, please feel free to discuss with one of our team.