Combat Cancer
A best-practice exercise medicine programme for people fighting and recovering from all types of Cancer.
Exercise is an essential Medicine for Cancer!
According to the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) position statement on exercise in cancer care, exercise should be prescribed to all cancer patients as a standard part of their cancer care to help manage the effects of cancer and its treatment.
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ExerciseWell’s ‘Combating Cancer’ is a best-practice exercise medicine programme providing individualised exercise prescriptions to people with cancer. Your programme will be designed specifically for you, based on your cancer type, stage, treatment, your current health status and fitness level, and your rehabilitation goals.
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The programme caters for people who have been diagnosed with any type of cancer. You will receive a personalised exercise prescription tailored to the type of cancer you’ve been diagnosed with, the treatments you’ve undergone and any side-effects you may be experiencing.
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You don’t have to have any prior experience with exercise, as the program will be based on your current health status and is relative to you physical capability.
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Your programme will be delivered by a clinical exercise physiologist who has specialist expertise, qualifications and training in cancer rehabilitation. Our staff have completed professional development training through the Ex-Med Cancer Australia and the American College of Sports Medicine.
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Safe and effective program specifically designed for people with cancer
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Individualised exercise medicine programme delivered by experienced clinical exercise physiologists
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Counteracts the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment
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Enhances the physical and mental wellbeing of people with cancer
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Evidenced-based off the latest scientific research
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Why should people with cancer exercise?
“If the effects of exercise could be encapsulated in a pill it would be prescribed to every person with cancer. Even if this pill had just a fraction of the positive health benefits exercise provides it would be viewed as a miracle drug in the fight against cancer” – Prof. Prue Cormie.
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Years of scientific research has established exercise as an invaluable medicine in the management of cancer. Evidence based guidelines recommend all people with cancer exercise regularly to help tolerate and recover from cancer treatments.
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Research shows that people with cancer who exercise regularly have a lower relative risk of dying from cancer, a lower relative risk of cancer recurrence and they experience fewer and/or less severe treatment-related adverse effects. This means those who exercise during their cancer diagnosis are more likely to recover faster and have a better quality of life!
What's included in the Combat Cancer programme?
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Full initial assessment including functional testing, fitness testing, blood pressure and ECG monitoring, body fat percentage, and an assessment of your lifestyle.
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Personalised exercise programme, including strength training, stretching and cardiovascular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle programme to follow.
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Supervised and monitored exercise sessions including checking exercise technique, reviewing goals, healthy lifestyle coaching and an individual exercise programme progressed and adapted throughout your journey. The exercise sessions will be tailored to where you are in your cancer journey and scheduled around your treatment regime.
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Use of the clinic outside of your supervised sessions.
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Advice on what exercise you should be doing outside of your sessions.
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Healthy lifestyle coaching, including education on nutrition, sleep, stress and pain management.
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Friendly, fun sessions. Your supervised sessions will be done alongside 2 to 3 other members of the clinic, where we all have fun, laugh with each other and make great progress!
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Cancer Rehabilitation Phases:
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Pre-treatment – We start with a baseline assessment as soon as you are diagnosed to get your base level of fitness. We can then use these results later on in your journey as a target for you to return to your original fitness level after your treatment phase. The aim of this phase is to improve your fitness and strength as much as possible before your treatment starts. If you become fitter and stronger before your cancer treatment, you can recover faster, cope better with treatment side effects, and reduce your chance of cancer recurrance. We can also address any pain/chronic injuries you have which may flare up during your treatment phase.
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During treatment – the structure of this phase will be largely dependent on the treatment you undergo. It will include both home-based and clinic-based exercise. We will monitor your symptoms closely and adjust your programme accordingly. The aim of this phase is to reduce treatment side-effects and help maintain your strength and fitness so you can recover faster after your treatment. There is also evidence to show that staying active during chemotherapy enhanced blood flow to the tumour so it is more effective at killing the cancer cells, and reduces nausea and fatigue.
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Recovery – your recovery phase may lap over with your treatment phase depending on the type of treatment you have. For example, we may give you surgery recovery exercises while you are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. The aim of the recovery phase is to build you back up both physically and mentally.
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Maintenance/secondary prevention – The aim of this phase is to help you develop lifelong exercise habits. We will work with you to find an exercise regime that you actually enjoy and makes you feel great!