Improvements in strength and agility measures of functional fitness following a telehealth-delivered home-based exercise intervention in endometrial cancer survivors
Endometrial cancer is strongly linked to obesity and inactivity; however, increased physical activity has important benefits even in the absence of weight loss. Resistance (strength) training can deliver these benefits; yet few women participate in resistance exercise. The purpose of this study was to describe both physiological and functional changes following a home-based strength training intervention. Forty post-treatment endometrial cancer survivors within 5 years of diagnosis were enrolled in a pilot randomized trial, comparing twice-weekly home-based strength exercise to wait list control. Participants conducted the exercises twice per week for 10 supervised weeks with 5 weeks of follow-up. Measures included DXA-measured lean mass, functional fitness assessments, blood biomarkers, and quality of life outcomes. On average, participants were 60.9 years old (SD = 8.7) with BMI of 39.9 kg/m Home-based muscle-strengthening exercise led to favorable and clinically relevant improvements in 3 of 7 physical function assessments. Physical function, body composition, blood biomarkers, and patient-reported outcomes were feasible to measure. These fitness improvements were observed over a relatively short time frame of 10 weeks.
Journal
Supportive Care in CancerAuthors
Funding
UW Comprehensive Cancer Center SupportFeasibility Trial of Home-Based Strength Training in Endometrial Cancer SurvivorsFeasibility Trial of Home-Based Strength Training in Endometrial Cancer SurvivorsProtocol Review and Monitoring SystemUniversity of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational ResearchAmerican Cancer Society Grant IRG-15-213-51