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Convincing a Fatigued Cancer Patient to Exercise: What do you say?

Andrea Branas, PT, MSE, MPT, CLT

July 23, 2014

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Question

What are some talking points that you use with patients to encourage them to exercise?

Answer

I often use the saying, “A body in motion stays in motion.  A body at rest stays at rest.”  It is very simple.  I also tell them that they are not going to get any stronger lying in bed.  That is just not the way that the body works.  The body needs to be moved.  Their heart, their lungs, their muscles need to move.  If they are not moving them, they are going to get weaker and weaker.  If the patient is lying in bed, sometimes you really have to explain to them that they are putting themselves at risk of being there long-term if they do not get up. 

Most patients who have cancer have a great fear of dying.  They know that people die from cancer, and these patients don’t want to.  Convincing them to move is very different than explaining to someone who is mobile that they should be on an exercise program.  As we all know, there are a lot of people in our country who are not exercising, but if they are up and moving around, sometimes it is harder to convince them to get on a true exercise program.  People who are sitting in bed much of the day are sometimes easier to get up and going.  It is like going from 0 to something with the next step being a true exercise program.


andrea branas

Andrea Branas, PT, MSE, MPT, CLT

Andrea Branas is a lead physical therapist at Good Shepherd Penn Partners in Philadelphia, PA.  Andrea works in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System providing patient care, education, leadership and training in the area of cancer rehabilitation.  Andrea’s areas of clinical expertise include lymphedema, pelvic floor rehabilitation, breast cancer rehabilitation and exercise for cancer related fatigue. In her current role, Andrea uses her expertise to help cancer survivors reach their physical potential by promoting rehabilitation starting at the time of cancer diagnosis.  She is currently a collaborator on an NIH Funded Dissemination grant to look at strength training for survivors of breast cancer.   Andrea has served as a guest lecturer for women’s health and cancer content at Arcadia and Widener Universities and the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey DPT programs. Andrea received her Masters degree in Physical Therapy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in 1998 and her Master’s of Science in Engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991.  She is currently working towards her transition DPT at Arcadia University. 


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