A Qualitative Exploration of the Experience of Men With Prostate Cancer Involved in Supervised Exercise Programs

Abstract

Involvement in a structured, clinic-based group exercise program provides men with prostate cancer with considerable benefits. Supervision by qualified exercise physiologists and incorporation of a group approach are critical components of maximizing those benefits.

Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research

“…Physical activity helped participants feel physically better, ward off perceived health concerns, and function better in their day-to-day life. Participants noted specific benefits in terms of their physical fitness [38,40,41,44,46,48,50,52,53,54,58,59,64,65,69], overall energy levels [32,33,35,37,38,40,42,43,44,46,48,50,54,56,57,58,59,62,65,66,67], physical strength [32,35,42,43,44,46,49,50,51,54,56,57,59,60,61,62,66,68,69], flexibility [38,39,49,56,67], weight/body composition [42,43,53,54,62,69,…”

“…Some participants also explained that physical activity made them feel like they were self-managing their disease by reducing the risk of their cancer reoccurring [33,45,49,60,69], decreasing their risk of developing a new cancer [33,45,49,60,69], or by slowing down the progression of their disease and prolonging their life. Other participants spoke more generally about how physical activity relieved various adverse consequences of their treatments [33,40,56,57].…”

“…Physical activity enabled participants to shift their focus from sickness and disease to wellness and health [32,33,38,39,42,45,48,50,53,54,55,57,61,63,67,69]. It also gave them something to do and kept their minds busy.…”

“…Physical activity provided opportunities for participants to (re)discover what their bodies were capable of doing, regardless of where they were along the cancer trajectory (e.g., on-treatment, off-treatment [34,41,42,43,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,55,59,62,66,67,68,69,71]. It also fostered body awareness by helping some participants (re)gain a connection with their bodies.…”

“…Physical activity was viewed by participants as something they could do to promote their own health, which fostered a sense of control over at least one facet of their lives [33,35,40,41,45,47,48,50,51,52,55,62,63,65,68,69]. Because many participants commented that they felt as though they had lost control over their health and body since their diagnosis, doing activities that made them feel in control and empowered was important.…”