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NEW HORIZONS PHYSICAL THERAPY
11622 El Camino Real, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone | 858.764.2409
Fax | 858.764.2410
Email | info@newhorizonspt.com

Cancer Rehabilitation
Joe Mondry, DPT, MSRS, CSCS, CLT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist
Certified Lymphedema Therapist
Phone | 858.764.2409 ext. 1054
Email | joe@newhorizonspt.com

Many Cancer Survivors question the benefit of participating in a structured, prescriptive exercise program. After all, they're fatigued, and exercise doesn't seem logical to them. Isn't just resting better? Won't resting improve my strength and endurance?

Well, based on the published literature reporting the connection between cancer treatment-related fatigue and the benefits of exercise, rest is the WORST thing a cancer survivor can do! Exercise is ESSENTIAL for cancer survivors! Are you skeptical? Here's proof based on our intervention for two specific clients who completed our Cancer Rehabilitation program.

Client A is a 33 year old female breast cancer survivor who tested poorly on a fitness assement for her age and gender. She scored 18% below her population average for cardiovascular fitness and was at a three-fold increased risk for cancer recurrence due to her poor fitness level. She had a moderate level of fatigue with a perceived functional deficit of 25%. Meaning, she could only perform 75% of her normal daily activities due to her perceived level of fatigue. After completing a 12 week, comprehensive prescriptive exercise program, she had dramatic results. She doubled her cardiovascular fitness level, exceeding her population average by 83%, while also eliminating her perceived level of fatigue. This improvement also eliminated her perceived functional deficits, as she was able to return to her prior level of function, including regular exercise training, without difficulty or hesitation. In addition, by raising her overall cardiovascular fitness level, she reduced her risk of breast cancer recurrence by 55%!

Client B is a 57 year old female breast cancer survivor who tested average on a fitness assessment for her age and gender. She scored 5% above her population average for cardiovascular fitness yet was at a two-fold increased risk for cancer recurrence due to her current fitness level. She had reported a mild level of fatigue with a perceived functional deficit of 54%. Meaning, she could only perform 46% of her normal daily activities due to her perceived level of fatigue. After completing a 12 week, comprehensive prescriptive exercise program, she also had dramatic results. She also doubled her cardiovascular fitness level, exceeding her population average by 116%, while also eliminating her perceived level of fatigue. She still reported a functional deficit of 8%, but that was significantly reduced (by 46%) from her initial level of 54%. In addition, by raising her overall cardiovascular fitness level, she reduced her rate of breast cancer recurrence by 55%!

Why do these results matter? Increased cardiorespiratory fitness means that your heart and lungs are more efficient when performing physical activities. Your heart pumps more blood to sustain that activity, delivering more oxygen to working muscles. Increased lung efficiency means that you can process more oxygen during activity and deliver enough oxygen to sustain that activity for longer durations. The end result is that you can perform simple daily activities for a longer duration without the rapid onset of fatigue. That is how exercise helps reduce fatigue; you improve your ability to perform simple daily activities for a longer duration without getting tired because your heart and lungs are more efficient! In addition, improved overall cardiorespiratory fitness has been proven to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Now that is a life changing result that matters!