Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) today released a position statement on the importance of exercise prescription (& completion!) for all cancer patients.

There is excellent evidence that exercise in people undergoing treatment for cancer:

• improves functional ability
• attenuates cancer-related fatigue
• alleviates psychological distress
• improves quality of life

Regular exercise before, during and after cancer treatment:

• decreases the severity of side effects
• is associated with a reduced risk of developing new cancers
• is associated with reduced risk of developing other associated medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis

For patients who have breast, colorectal or prostate cancer, research suggests that physical activity provides protection against cancer recurrence and cancer specific mortality (death)

A Sport & Exercise Physician is an expert in the prescription of exercise for medical condition management, treatment and prevention and is ideally placed to provide guidance to cancer patients, their Oncologists and wider treatment team on the use of exercise as medicine.

Click to access 10.5694mja18.00199.pdf

Alysia Montano is a US Track & Field athlete who has run throughout her pregnancies, maintaining her physical and mental health under the guidance of her Doctors.

Pregnancy is a different experience for every woman, but for the vast majority of Mum’s to be, its a time to focus on maintaining or improving health and well-being in preparation for not only delivery, but for life.

The medical evidence supports the continuation of exercise in Pregnancy for most women and recommends inactive women can commence an exercise program under medical guidance.

Exercise in pregnancy has been shown to:

• improve insulin sensitivity & reduce the risk of gestational diabetes
• optimise maternal weight gain throughout pregnancy
• reduce pre-eclampsia
• reduce rates of post partum depression

There are a small number of contra-indications to exercise in pregnancy.

Every woman should seek a prescription for exercise, which is tailored to her past exercise history, her current health and the state of her pregnancy.

A Sport & Exercise Medicine Physician is ideally placed to work with a Mother-to-be, her GP and her Obstetrician to provide guidance around continuing or commencing a healthy physical activity plan for life.