Alberta is paving the Canadian path by incorporating a province-wide exercise program into cancer patients’​ treatment

I’m very excited to be participating in the Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) prgoram, which is study with ~1,000 cancer patients across Alberta to evaluate the impact of incorporating exercise as part of their treatment plan. I’m lucky that I was able to squeeze in at the tail end of those being accepted, since there were already over 700 patients already involved as of November 2018.

ACE was developed to provide this service, and to help individuals with cancer to better withstand and recover from cancer treatment. It is a 5-year study, which required me to have screening and fitness testing on Thursday. I officially start the program on Monday, which entails completing physical exercises tailored to your fitness level and adapted as I go through my treatments.

ACE will take my measurements again at 12-weeks, 24 weeks and at one year to see the effect of exercise on my physical activity levels, fatigue, pain and quality of life. I will also complete a questionnaire at the end of years 1 through 5. PS… That means I plan to be around in 5 years, I am not a quitter and I signed up for this study! 😉

This is just one more way that the University of Alberta, University of Calgary’s Health & Wellness Lab and Alberta Health Services are working together with many other partners to make our province a top notch cancer-treatment hub.

By next year, I plan to be back hiking, skiing / snowboarding and fully enjoying the great outdoors again with my family. ACE will make sure that I keep my strength up for that! In the meantime, I will keep moving by playing with my kids!

Prescribing Exercise For Cancer Treatment

I’m motivated to stay alive. If you feel so inclined, please buy me a coffee or contribute towards some of my uninsured medical expenses.