Research supports the benefits of exercise to help improve physical function, reduce fatigue, improve overall well-being, and reduce the risk of recurrence during and after breast cancer treatment. Studies also indicate that being overweight or obese during and after breast cancer treatment can negatively impact treatment outcomes, physical functioning, and quality of life. A study completed by Dieli-Conwright, et al, was initiated to better understand the influence of physical activity on physical fitness, bone health, and emotional / social well-being during the early survivorship phase occurring 4-8 months after completing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments. The study included 100 ethnically diverse female breast cancer survivors who reported being physically inactive and were either overweight or obese, https://phenadip.com. The women were randomized between an intervention group, which received a progressive prescribed exercise program that included 150 minutes of aerobic activity and 2-3 days of resistance exercise training each week and the control group of usual activity. The results of the study showed that the exercise group reported less depression, decreased fatigue, better muscular strength and slight increase in bone mass. These findings support the importance of early initiation of a supervised exercise program for women who have completed breast cancer treatment.
Dieli-Conwright, CM , Courneya, KS, Demark-Wahnefried, W, Sami, N , Lee, K, Sweeney, FC, Stewart, C, Buchanan, TA, Spicer, D, Tripathy, D, Bernstein, L and Mortime, JE; Aerobic and resistance exercise improves physical fitness, bone health, and quality of life in overweight and obese breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Research (2018) 20:124.
