Short-term Effectiveness Of Home Based Exercise To Change Lifestyle In Not Communicable Disease

PURPOSE: Supervised exercise has shown remarkable effectiveness, but is associated to poor compliance at long term. In this study, we aimed to verify whether a homebased exercise program is effective in physical fitness related to health parameters management of a cohort of breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Experimental cohort observational study. We enrolled 13 women (age 49.1±5.5, height 163±7.3 cm) survivors to a breast cancer. At baseline were assessed the lifestyle in term of physical activity with accelerometer (Sensewear Bodymedia) and physical fitness related to health in term of aerobic capacity by 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT), flexibility (Sit & Reach), grip and lower limbs strength (Hand Grip and 30’’ Chair Test) and body composition (anthropometrics parameters, skinfold thickness and bio impedance). Home based exercise was prescribe for 40 days with two target: - Fast walking activity in terms of weekly session, minutes per session and intensity with heart rate, rate of perceived exertion (CR10) and steps per minute; - Individually daily steps target Parameters of physical fitness related to health before and after 40 days of unsupervised exercise were compared (t-test for paired data). RESULTS: At baseline (T0), patients displayed a moderate level of physical activity (PAL=1.5±0.1, daily steps=8569.3±2107.1) and were overweight (BMI=26.5±3.6 kg/m2 ). After 40 days of unsupervised exercise (T1), we observed improvement of all analyzed parameters with statistical significance in waist circumference (T0=92.4±8.5 cm, T1=89.5±7.9 cm; p<0.01), distance walked in 6 MWT (T0445.4±168.1 m, T1=534.6±151.5 m; p<0.05), 30 ‘’ Chair test (T0=14.8±5.6 rep, T1=16.3±4.9 rep; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Home-based unsupervised exercise in breast cancer survivors yielded short-term efficacy in all analyzed parameters. To change the lifestyle in terms of physical activity it is necessary to create a model that allows long-term therapeutic efficacy. Unsupervised approach, in comparison with supervised one, allow a reduction of the cost related to the treatment of not communicable disease with exercise therapy. Efficacy at long-term and a possible effect in reducing the risk of tumor relapse remain to be elucidated in larger cohorts with longer and multidisciplinary follow up.