Physical Activity Guidelines for Survivors

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Roundtable on Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors

• Exercise is safe during and after cancer treatments and results in improvements in physical functioning, quality of life and cancer-related fatigue in several cancer survivor groups
• Cancer Survivors should follow the Physical activity Guidelines for Americans with adaptations based on disease and treatment-related adverse effects
  • Few, if any, survivors are able to exercise to the extent recommended by the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.
  • Avoid inactivity
  • Weekly:
    • Aerobic: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise or equivalent
    • Strength-training: 2-3 weekly sessions that includes exercises for major muscle groups.
    • Flexibility: stretch major muscle groups and tendons on days that other exercises are performed
• Need to understand:
  • Specifics of your diagnosis and treatments received
  • Fitness level prior to your cancer diagnosis
  • The most common toxicities associated with cancer treatments
  • Fractures and CVD events with hormonal therapies
  • Neuropathies related to certain types of chemotherapy
  • Musculoskeletal morbidities secondary to treatment
  • Treatment-related cardio toxicity.
  • Those with metastatic disease to the bone will require modification (reduced impact, intensity, volume) due to bone fragility and fractures.

Most Exercise evidence is based on:

• Breast
• Prostate
• Colon
• Hematologic
• Gynecologic cancers
  • Researchers think the results are relevant to other cancers, but it is not KNOWN yet.