“ You feel as if you belong … we all have something in common ”
- program participant
Recent research suggests that exercise benefits most people both during and after cancer treatment. It can help manage some of the common side effects of treatment, speed up return to your usual activities and improve quality of life. There is little risk of exercise causing harm if professional exercise advice is tailored to the individual and followed closely.
Cancer Council Victoria offers small group education programs called Wellness and Life after Cancer to help people move from treatment to recovery and assist them to self-manage their own health and wellbeing. A recent trial in regional Victoria, Telehealth for Supportive Survivorship Care, introduced a group exercise component with education delivery via Telehealth. Having videoconferencing to deliver the education component meant a reduced travel time for many participants.
Trained exercise physiologists met with groups and conducted pre- and post-program assessments and created a group exercise program and home programs to encourage daily activity. Our preliminary results so far have been encouraging. Participants have reported an increase in daily physical activity and incorporating an extra day/week of physical activity into their usual routine.
For more information about education programs available across Victoria, contact our nurses on 13 11 20 or email askanurse@cancervic.org.au.
Our booklet Exercise for People Living with Cancer is also useful for practical tips.
This project is funded by the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program scheme, Department of Health and Human Services (VCSP11) in collaboration with the Grampians and Hume Region Integrated Cancer Service.
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