Providing the most up-to-date and best practice exercise prescription for each individual is at the heart of exercise physiologist Ryan Day’s approach to treating clients with breast cancer.
“It’s so rewarding to help a person maintain quality of life through treatment and then rebuild post treatment,” Ryan said. “People with all cancer benefit from exercise.”
“The majority of breast cancer patients I see have some form of surgery so it is important to help them get back their mobility and function.
“During chemotherapy and radiation I can help with maintaining quality of life and assisting them to tolerate treatment as best they can.
“Once treatment is completed I help with restoring quality of life and taking back a bit of control. During the whole treatment process patients lose control, with exercise they can take back some control and get a result they can see and feel.”
During his four years at Bloomhill Ryan said his approach has always come from a compassionate and empathetic approach.
“The main thing that may have changed through experience and exposure to clients is that I understand treatment is so individualistic,” he said.
“People have very different responses and I home in on them to provide an individual prescription for people, not a blanket approach.
“My treatment is flexible and adaptable, person to person. I think people really value that approach, they’re not just another person, they’re looked after specifically.”
Ryan encourages anyone with breast cancer, regardless of whether they have just been diagnosed, are mid-treatment or post-treatment to exercise.
“Properly prescribed exercise can be beneficial at any of those stages,” he said. “It’s always good to engage with an exercise physiologist whatever stage they are up to in their treatment cycle.”
Published: 18 September 2022
