Exercise Right Week: 21-27 May 2018
Today marks the start of Exercise Right Week. The aim of this week is to inspire those who are physically inactive to move more. Another goal is to demonstrate the importance of seeking the right exercise expert for their needs.
There is no surprise that exercise provides many benefits. Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) have recently published a statement on exercise in cancer treatment. Clinical research has established exercise as a safe and effective intervention to counteract many of the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment. The statement has been endorsed by more than 25 health organisations including, Cancer Council, ESSA, APA and MOGA.
“If we could turn the benefits of exercise into a pill it would be demanded by patients, prescribed by every cancer specialist and subsidised by government.”
Main recommendations: COSA calls for:
* exercise to be embedded as part of standard practice in cancer care and to be viewed as an adjunct therapy that helps counteract the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment;
* all members of the multidisciplinary cancer team to promote physical activity and recommend that people with cancer adhere to exercise guidelines; and
* best practice cancer care to include referral to an accredited exercise physiologist or physiotherapist with experience in cancer care.
Changes in management as a result of the guideline: COSA encourages all health professionals involved in the care of people with cancer to:
* discuss the role of exercise in cancer recovery;
* recommend their patients adhere to exercise guidelines (avoid inactivity and progress towards at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and two to three moderate intensity resistance exercise sessions each week); and
* refer their patients to a health professional who specialises in the prescription and delivery of exercise (i.e. accredited exercise physiologist or physiotherapist with experience in cancer care).
‘World-first’ call for exercise to be prescribed to all Australian cancer patients
Beneco specialises in return to work services for employers, employees and insurance agencies. Beneco uses innovative thinking to individualise back-to-work strategies that are sustainable across a variety of different environments.
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