Exercise behaviors in breast cancer survivors in Taiwan.

Background: Although exercise is a recommended rehabilitation intervention for many breast cancer survivors, exercise activity after cancer treatment is rarely reported in this patient group in Taiwan.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to analyze trends in exercise activity in breast cancer survivors in Taiwan.

Interventions/methods: This prospective, longitudinal study with repeated-measures design used standardized instruments to measure trends in exercise activity but performed no treatments or interventions.

Results: Of the 196 breast cancer survivors who participated in this study, 39% regularly engaged in light-to-moderate intensity exercise for approximately 15 minutes per day throughout the 6-month period of the study. Of these, 40% indicated that their exercise stage had increased, and only 13% indicated that their exercise stage had decreased. The most common exercise activities were walking, hiking, calisthenics, folk dancing, chi kung and tai chi. Although most women reported that exercise made them feel better both physically and emotionally, most said that they exercised mainly for health maintenance reasons.

Conclusions: Frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise significantly increased during the 6-month study but did not reach the recommended levels. Most women believed that physical activity enhanced their recovery from cancer treatment.

Implications For Practice: When planning patient education interventions for breast cancer survivors, healthcare professionals should consider not only the role of exercise in breast cancer recovery, but also trends in exercise behavior among breast cancer survivors. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on exercise trends in breast cancer survivors.