Education

Recent publication details framework for UW WELL-FIT

(June 1, 2009)

UW Fitness recently published a comprehensive manual titled "Active Living for Older Adults in Treatment for Cancer." This large scale project was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults (ALCOA), and will be available on a national basis to other individuals or organizations interested in starting an exercise program for individuals undergoing treatment for cancer, with a focus on the older adult.

This manual that includes a dvd with several participant interviews, is a valuable resource that details essential aspects and considerations of a succesful cancer rehab program, using UW WELL-FIT as the framework. To view the manual publication in pdf format, please visit the ALCOA website at http://www.alcoa.ca/e/cancer_project/index.htm

To view the promotional video, press play on the screen below.

UW program helps cancer patients rediscover quality of life

By Andrea Bailey
Chronicle Staff

(Jul 27, 2005)

Nausea. Diarrhea. Depression. Pain. Weight gain. Weight loss. Anemia. Well-Fit

An unpleasant list to say the least, but these conditions are all too familiar to those undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Like the old saying, things have to get worse before they get better, cancer sufferers endure plenty of strain and sickness through these treatments.

And the initial side effects eventually lead to worse feelings of decreased range of motion, loss of muscular strength, dyspnea, numbness, balance problems and decreased cardiovascular function.

At this stage of the game, it's hard to convince sufferers they will ever regain the quality of life they enjoyed before the diagnosis.

But one local program has helped make the long road to recovery a little more bearable.

The University of Waterloo's Well Fit program, in partnership with the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, was created three years ago to maintain or improve physical functioning and quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, using an exercise intervention.

The program is designed to suit people with different types of cancer who are referred by an oncologist, with a comprehensive exercise program including aerobic, strength and flexibility components. Well-Fit

"We have small groups so that each person receives individual attention within a supportive group setting," said Caryl Russell, program director. "It's good moral support for them."

Russell said research suggests exercising during the chemotherapy treatment process has reduced nausea, tiredness, fatigue and pain in sufferers, and improved energy levels and immune function.

Other studies show exercise has, in some cases, reduced the risk of reoccurrence and extended survival.

When Well Fit started, it was simply a 12-week program for those going through chemotherapy.

But the benefits - both physical and emotional - were so clear that organizers decided to introduce a Well Fit graduate program.

"We call the members of the graduate class our lifers," Russell said with a smile.

Both programs run separate one-hour sessions twice a week.

Personal trainer Lori Kraemer said it's a privilege to see the effect the program has on participants.

"It's very rewarding on a number of levels," she said.

"But it's also been emotional at times. We've lost some good people in the program, which is really hard to deal with. But on the flip side, we've also seen so many people who are now in remission or cancer-free, which is wonderful."

Beth Brown and Mary Jane Crozier are two members of the graduate program who are now in the cancer-free category.

Brown, 57, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, and Crozier, 52, who was diagnosed with the same illness just last October, went through the initial 12-week program before joining the follow-up class.

Their common experience has created a strong bond between them - a bond both women say only other cancer sufferers can truly understand.

"Being told you have cancer takes you to a place you've never been before... you need people to lead you because you can't take this by yourself," Crozier said.

"Being around others with cancer, you really feel they know what you're talking about. You don't get that feeling from others who haven't been down that path."

Crozier said she never felt as comfortable as she did at the exercise classes.

"There are no judgments; everyone is there for you," she said.

"When I'd lost all my hair, my hat came off a lot earlier in here (program) than it did anywhere else."

Brown added, the program participants and organizers make the classes fun every week.

"It's not a serious class at all," she said. "We have our laughs, and we share everything from stories to recipes."

Crozier added, "There were days when I'd have to drag myself in here, but it was always worth it. I never left feeling worse than when I came."

The initial 12-week class for chemotherapy patients is a free service, funded by UW Fitness and charitable donations; however, the graduate class costs members $5 per class.

"We'd love to be able to make the graduate program free, like the program for chemotherapy patients," Russell said, adding the program also plans to soon expand to include classes for those going through radiation treatments.

Some new equipment will be needed, she said.

But unless the program receives more outside funding, that will be difficult.

"When you're told you have cancer, you feel like you're losing control. You're depressed and you're spiraling downward," Crozier said. "This program intervenes before that happens."

For more information or to contribute to the UW Well Fit program, contact Caryl Russell at 888-4567, ext. 6379, or by e-mail at crussell@uwaterloo.ca

UW WELL-FIT program funded for new equipment

-- from the UW Media Relations Office

(July 13, 2005)

UW Well-Fit program funded for new equipment

Celebrating a gift yesterday were, from left, Caryl Russell, program director, Well-Fit; Charles Ormston, past president of KWCF; Doug Letson, chair, grants committee, KWCF; and Mike Sharratt, professor of Kinesiology and former dean of Applied Health Sciences. – Photo by Meredith McGinnis

An innovative University of Waterloo fitness program seeking to better the quality of life for people coping with cancer has received funding from a local charitable foundation to buy specialized equipment. At a special ceremony Tuesday on the UW campus, the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation donated $9,000 to the UW Well-Fit program for a new elliptical trainer.

"We are deeply grateful to the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation for their support," says Caryl Russell, director of UW Well-Fit. "An elliptical trainer is a valuable contribution to Well-Fit because it offers excellent cardiovascular conditioning as it challenges the arms as well as the legs and has the advantage of reducing the impact on joints."

Since Well-Fit was launched in 2002, more than 100 local chemotherapy patients have benefited from the program. It is part of UW Fitness, one of many programs linking UW's research and teaching expertise in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (AHS) with community-based wellness services, training, and health-promotion programs.

As part of Campaign Waterloo: Building a Talent Trust, the Well-Fit program is looking for support to accommodate more participants, including patients undergoing radiation. The expansion plans will take place in the Manulife Wellness Centre in the AHS faculty, providing a new home for Well-Fit and much-needed space for clinical testing, group programs and education sessions.

Well-Fit is part of a comprehensive recovery strategy that offers individuals living with cancer an opportunity to participate in an innovative group physical activity program. It helps alleviate some of the negative side effects of chemotherapy, gives them a feeling of increased strength and control over their lives, as well as providing emotional support and motivation from others facing similar challenges.

Under the program, patients receive an assessment by Well-Fit's professional exercise specialists. Then they begin a twice-a-week, 12-week exercise program that includes treadmill walking/running, stationary cycling, functional strength and flexibility training. Each session lasts an hour.

UW Well-Fit provides a critical community service by helping cancer patients in Waterloo Region improve their physical and emotional well-being. It also includes a research component that monitors and evaluates these improvements, opening up an educational opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students.

Well-Fit is offered in partnership with Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and is currently funded jointly by UW Fitness and charitable donations.