Exercise and Cancer

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Nearly 14.5 million children and adults with a history of cancer were alive in 2014 in the United States. A total of ~1.7 million new cancer cases and 589,430 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States in 2015. While it was common for physicians to advise cancer patients to avoid physical activity, the recommendation today is low- to moderate-intensity exercise of 150 min·wk-1 (i.e., 50 min·d-1, 3 times·wk-1). Board Certified Exercise Physiologists pay close attention to cancer survivors’ responses to exercise training to ensure their safety. Exercise medicine improves aerobic fitness and muscle strength, and increases the cancer survivor’s quality of life. Regular exercise is safe, and it does not interfere with the client’s medical condition. In fact, it helps to offset the increased risk for chronic diseases (such as T2DM and CHD).