Study Finds That Walking Improves The Quality Of Life In People Diagnosed With Advanced Cancer

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A new study by researchers at the University of Surrey and the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery at King's College London found Walking for 30 minutes, at least three times every week could improve the quality of life for persons diagnosed with advanced cancer. In the study, the researchers explored the impact of walking on the quality of life and severity of symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.

They noted that despite growing evidence on the health benefits of exercise to cancer patients, physical activity in those diagnosed usually declines dramatically during treatment and remain that way even afterward. However, most initiatives aimed at promoting physical activity for those with cancer are often supervised and require these individuals travel to specialist facilities. This places an additional burden on patients.

The researchers conducted the study on 42 persons diagnosed with cancer, who were then divided into two groups. One of the groups was coached from an initiative by Macmillan Cancer, including a short motivational interview, Science Daily.

The coaching process also involves the recommendation for cancer patients to walk for at least 30 minutes on alternate days and also attend a volunteer group walk weekly. They were also informed about the health benefits of walking, stating that it is associated with increased cardiovascular strength and improved energy levels.

Meanwhile, the members of the second group were advised to maintain their current level of activity. The researchers were able to discover that participants in the first group displayed significant improvement in emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing after completing the program. Most of the participants reported that walking enabled an improved positive attitude towards their illness and also other social benefits of participating in group walks.

"The importance of exercise in preventing cancer recurrence and managing other chronic illnesses is becoming clear. Findings from this important study show that exercise is valued by, suitable for, and beneficial to people with advanced cancer," co-author and Professor of Supportive Cancer, Emma Ream said.

She added that people with the advanced disease should be encouraged to be more active and incorporate exercise into their daily lives where possible instead of shying away from it, Surrey news. The current study is a first step towards exploring how walking can help improve the quality of life for people living with advanced cancer, lead author and Senior Lecturer at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, Dr. Jo Armes said.

However, further study on a larger number of people is necessary to provide definitive evidence that walking aids in improving health outcomes and social and emotional wellbeing of people living with advanced cancer. The researchers published their findings in the BMJ Open journal.

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