Evaluation of a community based exercise program for people with cancer

The Cancer Council WA Life Now Exercise program intervention consists of a pre- and post- program individual exercise physiologist consultation and 3 months of twice weekly group-based exercise sessions administered in community exercise clinics under the supervision of exercise physiologists specifically trained to deliver the Life Now Exercise program. The twice weekly exercise sessions are conducted in groups of approximately 10 participants under the supervision of an accredited exercise physiologist. The maximum number of participants per group is 15-20 (site dependent) and the groups are administered with an exercise physiologist to participant ratio of up to 1:10. The sessions last approximately 1 hour in duration and consist of a combination of moderate to high intensity aerobic and resistance exercise as well as flexibility exercises. The aerobic exercise component includes 20 to 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise using a variety of modes such as walking or jogging on a treadmill, cycling or rowing on a stationary ergometer. The target intensity is between 60 to 85% of estimated heart rate maximum. The resistance exercise component involves 6 to 10 exercises that target the major upper and lower body muscle groups. Target intensity is manipulated from 6-12 repetition maximum (RM; i.e. the maximal weight that can be lifted 6 to 12 times which is equivalent to ~60-85% of 1RM) using 1-4 sets per exercise. Resistance exercise selection is individually prescribed. The flexibility component involves approximately 5 minutes of stretching of the major muscle groups for 15-30 second duration each. Exercise prescription is progressive and modified according to individual response. Session ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are recorded after the completion of each exercise session to monitor the perceived intensity of the exercise using the 6 – 20 Borg scale. The target session RPE range is 12 – 16. Participants are encouraged to undertake additional home-based aerobic exercise with the goal of achieving a total of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise each week (accumulated through the combination of clinic- and home-based sessions). Compliance and attendance (including the reason for any missed sessions) will be tracked throughout the program by the EP. Additionally patients will be asked to document their home-based aerobic exercises in a training diary.