title: Impact of a brief exercise program on the physical and psychosocial health of prostate cancer survivors: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is well established that exercise is beneficial for prostate cancer survivors. The challenge for health professionals is to create effective strategies to encourage survivors to exercise in the community. Many community exercise programs are brief in duration (e.g. <5 exercise sessions); whilst evidence for the efficacy of exercise within the literature are derived from exercise programs ≥8 weeks in duration, it is unknown if health benefits can be obtained from a shorter program. This study examined the effect of a four-session individualized and supervised exercise program on the physical and psychosocial health of prostate cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one prostate cancer survivors (mean age 69±7 years) were prescribed 1 h, individualized, supervised exercise sessions once weekly for 4 weeks. Participants were encouraged to increase their physical activity levels outside of the exercise sessions. Objective measures of muscular strength, exercise capacity, physical function and flexibility; and self-reported general, disease-specific and psychosocial health were assessed at baseline and following the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements were observed in muscle strength (leg press 17.6 percent; P < 0.001), exercise capacity (400-m walk 9.3 percent; P < 0.001), physical function (repeated chair stands 20.1 percent, usual gait speed 19.3 percent, timed up-and-go 15.0 percent; P < 0.001), flexibility (chair sit and reach +2.9 cm; P < 0.001) and positive well-being (P = 0.014) following the exercise program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A four-session exercise program significantly improved the muscular strength, exercise capacity, physical function and positive well-being of prostate cancer survivors. This short-duration exercise program is safe and feasible for prostate cancer survivors and a randomized controlled trial is now required to determine whether a similar individualized exercise regimen improves physical health and mental well-being over the short, medium and long term.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Tina L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|The University of Queensland, School of Public Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Gmme Geeske
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicola W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Griffith University, Griffith Health Institute, Southport, Queensland, Australia.|Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Edith Cowan University, Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Åstrand Laboratory of Work Physiology, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kate A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bolam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors
keywords: allied health occupations; exercise therapy; neoplasms; physical conditioning; psychology