Exercise for women with breast cancer

Did you know that Breast Cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women? Did you also know that Australian women have a 1 in 7 chance of developing breast cancer by the time they are 85? Those statistics sound pretty scary right!?! Whilst those statistics do sound scary (and rightly so) the good news is awareness campaigns, early detection and advances in treatment have increased the 5 year survival rate of breast cancer to 91%. With such a high incidence of breast cancer and a high survival rate that means there are a lot of women in Australia who have been impacted by breast cancer.

The impact of breast cancer

If you or anyone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer (or any cancer for that matter), you will know that breast cancer not only negatively impacts you physically but also mentally, emotionally and financially. Breast cancer and its treatment methods (think chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, hormone therapy etc) can have horrible physical side effects including; extreme fatigue, pain, nausea, decreased strength, aerobic fitness and bone mineral density, weight gain, hair loss and lymphedema just to name a few. Breast cancer poorly impacts a person's social, emotional and mental well-being, feelings of sadness, anger, fear loss of control, depression and anxiety are common in women with breast cancer. Lets not forget the financial burden breast cancer can cause. The combined physical, mental, emotional and financial impact of breast cancer leads to a decrease in quality of life for women with breast cancer. As I mentioned before, the survivorship rates of breast cancer are high, this means there are a lot of women in Australia who are negatively impacted by breast cancer. What can we do to help?

The benefits of exercise

That’s enough of the doom and gloom, here is the good news… EXERCISE

We all know how amazing exercise is for general health and well-being, well the great news is exercise is just as beneficial for women with breast cancer. There is an ever growing mountain of research that states regular exercise can enhance both physical, mental and emotional health. Exercise has many physical benefits for women with breast cancer. Some of these benefits include; managing symptoms and treatment side effects such as fatigue, pain, lymphedema and lowered bone mineral density, increased strength and fitness, improvements in body composition and sleep and improvements in quality of life. Research has not only found exercise is good for your physical well-being, but it is just as effective for your mental and emotional well-being. Some of these benefits include; increased mood, self esteem, and confidence, stress management and decreased depression and anxiety.

If those benefits don't give motivation to get active this next point certainly will… There is a strong amount of research that agrees that participating in physical activity post cancer diagnosis can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and cancer mortality!

How much exercise?

So now that we know the benefits of exercise for breast cancer the next question is... How much exercise should we do? ESSA recommends that women with breast cancer should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity plus 2 resistance exercise sessions per week. Whilst 150 minutes of exercise per week sounds like a lot of exercise, if you break it down to minutes per day it’s definitely achievable. If you do 30 minutes a day for 5 days of the week you have met the guidelines and that allows for 2 rest days per week.

What type of exercise?

So what sort of exercise is best for breast cancer? It is recommended to include aerobic, resistance, balance and flexibility exercises. Different types of exercises have different benefits:

• Aerobic exercise: benefits cardiovascular fitness, heart health, brain and mental health and body composition.

• Resistance exercise: benefits for strength, bone density and body composition.

• Balance exercises: benefits for balance, reducing falls risk and managing side effects of peripheral neuropathy.

• Flexibility: particularly important for improving shoulder range of movement after surgery.

Tips for getting started

• If you are just starting out and not achieving 150 minutes of physical activity per week, slowly build up the amount of exercise you are doing. Start with small blocks of 10-15 minutes per day and increase the time to 30 minutes per day when you feel ready.

• Monitor your fatigue and energy levels before, during and after exercise. If you are feeling really fatigued, a walk or gentle stretching is a great way to exercise while still maintaining your energy levels.

• Slowly increase exercise intensity, duration and load when you feel ready. This will help to maintain fatigue and energy levels.

• If you have peripheral neuropathy it is important to reduce trip hazards to reduce the risk of falls.

• If you develop any usual swelling at the site of operation, in the arm, shoulder or chest you should discuss this with your healthcare team.

Important considerations

• If you suffer from bone metastasis, lymphedema, picc line or movement issues it is important to speak to an exercise physiologist prior to starting exercise.

The role of an accredited exercise physiologist

Exercise physiologists play an important role in your cancer recovery and are an important member of your healthcare team. An accredited exercise physiologist will undertake a thorough assessment that takes into consideration your cancer diagnosis (type, stage, treatments, side effects), medical history, goals, previous and current physical activity levels to prescribe a tailored exercise program that is safe and effective.

Need help getting started with an exercise program?

Get in contact to book an initial assessment with our exercise physiologist. We use this session to get to know you and work out how we can help you! The session involves a chat where we discuss your cancer diagnosis, medical history, physical activity levels and goals, and undertake any necessary health assessments. With the information provided, a treatment plan is then developed to help you achieve

your goals. Treatment plans may include:- home exercise programs- individual exercise sessions- group exercise classes