Active ABC programme
Keeping active during your breast cancer treatment
Staying active during chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment can make you feel better.
Recently, a study in Glasgow showed that a tailored group exercise class for women during treatment for breast cancer was a safe and effective way of improving their wellbeing. Compared to women who were not offered the programme, the participants of the 12 weeks course reported the following positive effects:
- Higher levels of fitness
- More active daily living
- Feeling more positive
- Better range of movement around the shoulder
- A better quality of life
These positive benefits were still present when the same women were reassessed 6 months later. At this point most of the class participants had completed their treatment and they reported feeling less tired and less depressed compared to those who had not been offered the classes.
Based on the results of this Glasgow study, a programme of exercise classes and support sessions has been developed by Anna Campbell, the author of the original research for all women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The programme is called Active ABC (After Breast Cancer) and it will be trialled as a city wide programme for 2 years within Glasgow starting in October 2009.
