Jenna Smith-Turchyn
Regular participation in exercise significantly improves physical, psychological, and quality of life outcomes in cancer survivors. Preliminary observational evidence also suggests regular exercise can prevent recurrence and mortality in some cancers. … North American guidelines suggest cancer survivors participate in 90-150 minutes of moderate-vigorous aerobic exercise each week and twice weekly strength training for all major muscle groups. However, only a small portion of cancer survivors participate in regular physical activity and many participation barriers exist for survivors related to knowledge and accessibility. This presentation summarizes background information on exercise for cancer survivors and highlights recent work in three areas of oncology rehabilitation: novel exercise implementation strategies for cancer survivors, involving ‘hard to reach’ cancer populations in exercise, and using peer-based exercise programs to facilitate exercise behavior. Together content described in this presentation can be used by clinicians and researchers when devising exercise-related interventions for survivors of cancer.
