Exercise Oncology
Exercise Oncology
Exercise-therapy is a core component of clinical treatment plans for people with cancer. Prior to commencing any form of exercise-therapy it is important to confirm that your cancer care exercise therapist is university qualified and holds appropriate accreditations.
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What is Exercise Oncology?
Exercise Oncology is a branch of exercise-therapy that assists people who are diagnosed with cancer to thrive from pre-treatment, and well into survivorship. At Body Smart Health, we can work with you to ensure you achieve the best possible outcomes before, during and after treatment.
Exercise-therapy programs are designed to improve the effectiveness of oncology treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy. By strengthening the body’s heart, lungs, bones and muscles your body is better able to direct your medicine straight to the tumour, reducing damage to your organs and reducing the severity of treatment side-effects such as fatigue, pain, swelling, depression and mobility concerns.
Specific exercise-therapy will also boost your immune system, something that often suffers during cancer treatment. Following just one exercise-therapy session, cells of your immune system known as natural killer cells can increase by 50-500%. By boosting your immune system, you improve your own body’s ability to fight off cancer cells naturally, and reduce the risk of contracting other illnesses during your cancer treatment.