FITNESS
The Cancer Wellfi t programme in the US (right) has been running successfully for 17 years
SPECIALIST SKILLS
Dr Anna Campbell, director of CanRehab – which pro- vides cancer rehab training for UK fi tness professionals
– led a study which followed 200 breast cancer patients during and aſt er treatment. Half of the women partici- pated in group exercise; half did not. She says: “Group exercise clearly addressed the side-effects, with the active group feeling less tired, less depressed and more willing to return to active life.” T e study, which was published in the
British Medical Journal in 2007, has led to the establishment of the ActiveABC referral scheme in Glasgow, UK. Under the local authority-funded scheme, doc- tors, oncologists and surgeons assess breast cancer patients for a 12-week group exercise programme that’s held in leisure centres across the city. Campbell has trained the staff in each of
the four leisure centres which are running the programme. T e exercise includes cir- cuit-based strength training twice a week and participants are also encouraged to use other facilities simultaneously, such as swim- ming pools and yoga classes. She believes exercise instructors require
specialist training when working with indi- viduals during and aſt er treatment because there are side-eff ects specifi c to cancer types that can aff ect mobility – for example, swell- ing associated with lymphoedema. Other doctors confi rm the lack of a suitable qual- ifi cation in the past has reduced the number of patients they could safely refer. CanRehab is one of the fi rst UK training
providers to off er a Level 4 Cancer Reha- bilitation qualifi cation by the Register of Exercise Professionals – which regulates fi t- ness qualifi cations in the country and also has branches in Europe, Australia and New Zealand also. T e qualifi cation includes 35 hours of training over four months covering cancers, treatments, side-eff ects, contra-in- dications and guidelines. T e Wright Foundation, an referral spe-
cialist in the UK, Europe and Australia, is also due to gain endorsement for its Level 4 cancer qualifi cation imminently.
Instructors require specialist training for individuals during and after treatment because there are side- eff ects specific to cancer types that can aff ect mobility
NEW MARKETS
Funding for patient-referral programmes remains a complex issue in the UK and there’s a need for it to be addressed by the country’s government. But it’s clear that com- mercial health clubs with a holistic approach are open to becoming part of the process, so, could spas with in-house fi tness facilities also consider off ering an inclusive approach – not just in the UK, but globally? Asher says he would be comfortable for
T e T ird Space’s personal trainers to pre- scribe remedial exercise if there was initial and ongoing communication with the indi- vidual’s healthcare professional. And at Nuffi eld Health Fitness & Wellbe-
ing Centres, there are embryonic plans to initiate a wellbeing programme that would be suitable for cancer survivors and others suff ering health problems, involving tailor- made prescriptions for individuals. In the US, an inspiring case study – for
both health club and spa operators – can be found at West Coast Athletic Clubs (WCAC). Its over-subscribed Cancer Well- fi t programme for individuals in treatment or within nine months of diagnosis is run in Santa Barbara and Goleta in California. Pro- viding free, full membership to the club for 10 weeks, the programme is built around two strength-training sessions each week, super- vised by Wellfi t-certifi ed trainers. “We experimented with other exercises, but found that for a group of between 10
64 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
and 14 participants, strength training in a standard weight room worked best because it allowed trainers to safely take members through a routine, personalising work- outs from the outset, and introducing new equipment as progress is made,” says Can- cer Wellfi t director Paula Lilly. Funded by WCAC and Santa Barbara Can-
cer Center, the 17-year-old programme is a powerful way of giving back to the commu- nity. T ere have also been some associated benefi ts, however, with 40 per cent of par- ticipants becoming fee-paying members, taking advantage of the special, follow-up, one-year Wellfi t membership rate. And this is something that health clubs
– and spas off ering memberships inclusive of fi tness – should take into account when considering whether to off er their facilities for cancer patient referral schemes or invest in specialist staff training. T omas concludes: “Organisations such
as T e Wright Foundation have been car- rying out research to assess the conversion rate of people who, aſt er completing an ini- tial 12-week programme, end up taking a membership at the same facility. At the same time, some survivors will be looking to pay for personalised sessions with qualifi ed per- sonal trainers. T ese are groups who have never exercised before and never attended a gym, but who are committed to staying fi t because they feel as though they have been given a new lease of life.” ●
SPA BUSINESS 4 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84