PhD Defence Anouk Tanja Rudy Weemaes

Keywords: Exercise oncology rehabilitation, physical fitness, exercise testing, remote coaching
 

"Moving Beyond Exercise Oncology Rehabilitation"

Cancer and its treatment can lead to inactivity, declined physical fitness, fatigue, mental distress, and a diminished quality of life. This thesis aimed to monitor changes in physical fitness and patient-reported outcomes during oncology rehabilitation, optimize the transition to long-term physical activity maintenance, and explore different methods to monitor exercise capacity. Results showed that physical fitness and patient-reported outcomes improved after a 10-week exercise program as part of multidisciplinary oncology rehabilitation. Participants who received remote coaching following the exercise program showed slightly higher physical activity levels after six months, but the differences were not significant. Remote coaching was perceived as acceptable and felt as a source of accountability. The FitMáx©-questionnaire showed to be promising for gaining global insight into exercise capacity, while the steep ramp test, as a short cycling test, is more appropriate to evaluate exercise capacity during an exercise program, when performing a comprehensive, maximal exercise test with breathing analysis is not indicated.

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