Download File - PALS For Life

Avoid Inactivity
Before, During and After Cancer Treatment
PALS for Life Workshop brings safe strength training to
breast-cancer survivors
Contact:
Cathy Bryan
215-400-1990
[email protected]
Breast-cancer survivors are at risk of developing a condition called lymphedema, which causes
swelling of the arm or other areas of the upper body, after surgery/ treatment for breast cancer.
Lymphedema can bring pain, numbness, discomfort, and sometimes infection. Women with
lymphedema often refer to themselves as ‘swell sisters,’ but none of them thinks the condition is
well…swell.
Every woman who has had breast surgery is at risk, and up to 40% of breast-cancer survivors
eventually develop lymphedema (pronounced LIMF-eh-DEE-ma). The disease can develop
immediately after surgery or weeks, months or many years later. Breast-cancer survivors have a
lifelong risk of the condition, and when it develops, it lasts a lifetime.
Breast cancer survivors traditionally have been advised to avoid lifting anything heavy, which
some doctors consider to mean as little as five- ten pounds. That advice generally rules out
strength training, not to mention placing limits on functional strength such as lifting groceries or
babies. Strength training (weight training, resistance training) can reduce the risk of osteoporosis,
aid in weight control, reduce stress, and help women develop improved well-being and selfesteem. It also builds functional fitness.
Fortunately, recent research, called the PAL (Physical Activity and Lymphedema)Trial, showed
that if a breast-cancer survivor follows specific training guidelines for slow progressive weight
training, strength training may not worsen her lymphedema, nor does it trigger the condition if
she does not yet have it. The PAL Trial report emphasized, however, that women wishing to
incorporate safe weight lifting in their exercise programs must do so under close supervision of
trainers or therapists schooled in the PAL Protocol. PAL stands for Physical Activity and
Lymphedema.
Finding a PAL-trained professional can be frustrating for women who want to regain strength
lost to the physical challenges of breast cancer treatment. Breast-cancer survivor Jen StarrReivitt is a runner who wanted to add weight lifting to her fitness program. According to Jen, ‘I
asked at my local gym if I could meet with someone for training who knew about lymphedema...
but they didn't have anyone and I was too scared they wouldn't understand my situation.’ Jen
does not have lymphedema, but her breast cancer treatment was aggressive and puts her at high
Cathy J. Bryan, M.Ed; Cancer and Exercise Specialist; 1307 Stein Hwy St. Seaford, De. 19973
215-400-1990 [email protected]
www.cancersurvivorfitness.com
Avoid Inactivity Before, During and After Cancer Treatment
Avoid Inactivity
Before, During and After Cancer Treatment
risk for the condition. Without professional help to guide her through safe strength training
procedures, Jen is not willing to try a weight-lifting program.
The PALS for Life Workshop will provide fitness and lymphedema professionals with the
training they need to help women like Jen start—or restart—a strength-training program.
The PALS for Life Workshop brings the PAL Trial’s guidelines—called the PAL Protocol—to
area personal trainers and lymphedema therapists, so they can coach and supervise their clients
and patients who wish to add strength training to their exercise regimens. The workshop is a oneday session led by Cathy Bryan, owner of PALS for Life, Inc. PALS for Life is an exercise
protocol that is based on the PAL research findings and on Cathy’s experience as lead personal
trainer on the PAL Trial and over 20 years of working with breast cancer survivors. Cathy
worked on the PAL Trial through its duration and has since trained most of the trainers across
the country who provide PAL Protocol training to breast-cancer survivors.
About the PAL Trial and PALS for Life
The PAL Trial was a one- year weight lifting intervention among survivors with and at risk for
lymphedema. The research was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. This randomized
trial included 295 survivors who participated in a one-year randomly controlled exercise
intervention. This trial was designed to test the safety of weight lifting for this population.
Researchers found that weight lifting is safe for women with and at risk for lymphedema and that
they are perhaps at greater risk for many other conditions if they avoid activity. Weight lifting is
in no way a cure for lymphedema, but with benefits as mentioned above, it is a pretty sure path
to a healthier life.
PALS for Life, Inc. is a Delaware-based provider of individual and group personal training for
breast-cancer survivors, following the University of Pennsylvania PAL Protocol. The mission of
PALS for Life is to provide safe, effective, research based exercise programs for breast cancer
survivors- “Avoid Inactivity Before, During and After Breast Cancer.”
Cathy J. Bryan, M.Ed; Cancer and Exercise Specialist; 1307 Stein Hwy St. Seaford, De. 19973
215-400-1990 [email protected]
www.cancersurvivorfitness.com
Avoid Inactivity Before, During and After Cancer Treatment
Avoid Inactivity
Before, During and After Cancer Treatment
PAL-Protocol Research Resources
An article written by Kathryn Schmitz, PhD and lead PAL Trial researcher, explains in laymen’s
terms the implication of the PAL Trial for women with lymphedema:
http://www.lymphnet.org/pdfDocs/Weight_LE_Misconception.pdf .
The full journal article explaining weight-lifting risk to women with lymphedema is available at
http://www.lymphnet.org/pdfDocs/PAL_NEJM.pdf .
A report of PAL-Trial evaluation of weight-lifting risks to women at risk of lymphedema is
available at http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2010/12/03/jama.2010.1837.full.
Cathy J. Bryan, M.Ed; Cancer and Exercise Specialist; 1307 Stein Hwy St. Seaford, De. 19973
215-400-1990 [email protected]
www.cancersurvivorfitness.com
Avoid Inactivity Before, During and After Cancer Treatment