Description

Exercise has been shown to play an important role in reducing many of the side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment. Exercise can help to improve symptoms of fatigue, nausea, muscle weakness, and pain, which in turn can help to improve patients overall quality of life and wellbeing. In addition to this, exercising during chemotherapy can also help to maintain physical fitness and preserve muscle mass, which has been shown to significantly reduce treatment toxicities. Despite these benefits of exercise, performing regular physical activity during chemotherapy poses significant challenges. Patients are faced with a number of physical and logistical barriers during chemotherapy which makes it difficult to engage in regular exercise. In addition to this, exercise programs that are being designed lack flexibility and individualization, and don't account for the unpredictable nature of chemotherapy treatment. It is, therefore, no surprise that patients struggle to meet the exercise recommendations during chemotherapy, and highlights the need for careful consideration when prescribing exercise during this time. In preparation for this study, the research team held a number of workshops which included a mixture of patients and healthcare professionals with the aim of co-designing an exercise intervention for patients during chemotherapy. Including public and patient involvement (PPI) in the design process will help to ensure that the exercise program that is developed is pragmatic and, most importantly, patient-centred.