Exercise During Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a condition that almost all of us will have experienced, either directly ourselves or in-directly through a family member or friend. More than 134,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer each year and approximately 68% of those people diagnosed will be disease-free at 5 years.

Exercise can play an important role as an adjunct treatment to complement other treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. Exercise can help to reduce the side effects of the other treatments such as pain, nausea, fatigue, depression and anxiety. It can also play an important role in improving cancer treatment adherence and immune function during treatment. It can also improve quality of life by helping to maintain strength and fitness, improving sleep quality and improving mental function, both during and following cancer treatment.

Coffs Coast Exercise Physiology owner Hugh is currently undertaking a Masters of Exercise Medicine (Oncology) to help improve the quality of exercise services available to people undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment on the Coffs Coast.