General questionnaire
Overall, 27 patients (61%) reported having exercised regularly before
their tumor was diagnosed, with no statistically significant difference
between the two groups (14/21 [67%] in the GYM group, and 13/23
[56%] in the No-GYM). Leaving aside three patients who reportedly
did not exercise even before they were diagnosed with cancer, 32/41
patients (78%) reported completely dropping out of any physical
activity when their disease was diagnosed, 8/41(20%) significantly
reduced their level of exercise, and only one continued to exercise as
before. The main reasons for limiting their exercise or sports or
dropping out were: fatigue (26/40); lack of time (11/40, partly due to
frequent hospital visits); physical disabilities (amputation, in 1;
problems leading to the inability to walk in 5); and the presence of a
central venous device (2). Seventeen patients (43%) were discouraged
from continued exercising because their tumor was regarded in itself as
a contraindication (by general practitioners in 9 cases, by parents in 3
cases, by the patients themselves in 4 cases, and by the coach of their
usual sports activity in 1 case).
Seventeen patients had already attended the hospital gym before this
study was launched (and 12 of them reported not exercising regularly or
engaging in any sports before their tumor was diagnosed), and were asked
some additional questions referring to the period before the study
began. Their reported motives for attending the gym were: to keep fit
(8/17); to combat treatment-related side effects (3/17); to take their
mind off their situation (12/17); to have an opportunity to socialize
with their peers (2/17); to heal their relationship with their bodies
(6). After starting to attend the hospital gym, they reported
experiencing the following benefits: they felt physically fitter (8);
they were better able to manage their anger (11), sadness (12),
irritability (11), or anxiety (9); it helped to control side effects of
treatment (nausea, vomiting), and improved their relationships with
peers (5). Eleven of the 17 patients would have advised other patients
to use the hospital gym. All 17 patients said they would not be worried
about resuming their physical activities after completing chemotherapy,
and 15 (88%) said they would come back to the hospital gym even after
completing their cancer treatments, during their follow-up as
outpatients (to get fitter before going to other gyms in 5 cases, to
keep in touch with other patients in 5, and because the in-hospital gym
was seen as a more ‘protected’ area in 5).