Cancer & Exercise Study seeks upcoming participants

ALAMOSA — Adams State University’s Department of Human Performance and Physical Education (HPPE) has teamed up with SLV Health Cancer Clinic to continue to bring the Cancer & Exercise study to the Valley. While working with Dr. M. “Penny” Cooper, this study has been successful in changing participants’ lives and improving the quality of life of each person.

Each semester, the group starts a new rotation of the study that will last a total of 12 weeks. All participants will undergo pre- and post-testing, then will be randomly selected into either the exercise intervention or control group. For both groups, participants will undergo pre-testing to find baseline measurements to improve from and to keep the control of the study throughout.

In testing, participants learn about their body composition, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular fitness by means of the Fitness Age test and a 6-minute walk test. Through the Fitness Age, all physical characteristics are measured to give insight on how “fit” the participant’s body is and how “old” or “young” their body is physiologically. This is measured through anthropometric measurements (height/weight, circumferences & skinfolds), a 3-minute step-up test, sit-n-reach flexibility test, push-up test and sit-up test.

Researchers combine each of these to give an overall body fitness age that they will work to improve over 10 weeks of aerobic training, resistance training, balance training, and trying different sports and activities that participants may enjoy enough to continue after being in the study.

At the end of the 10 weeks, both the intervention group and control group come back to re-test, and researchers are able to compare results. Participants who are initially placed in the control group will have the opportunity to be in the intervention group in the following semester.

From our first study in the spring semester of 2018, participants had an overall average decrease in fitness age of about eight years, meaning they significantly improved their overall body fitness. The group is finishing up its current group of participants that after the study, will have a chance to stay in the program as part of the maintenance group, so they can continue to improve their fitness and quality of life while still being part of a great program. This opportunity is offered to each intervention group after finishing their intervention semester. 

Some participants commented:

“Every day is a good day!”

“ I am stronger and much more capable of participating in activities inside and outside my home for longer periods of time.”

Researchers are looking for more participants and are currently recruiting for next semester with pre-testing starting January 21st, 2019. The requirements to be in the study are individuals who currently have cancer or are in remission and are willing to volunteer 12 weeks to be a part of the study. This entails the two weeks of testing only two days each week, along with 10 weeks of training three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for an hour for our exercise intervention group. For the control group, participants are asked to continue with their daily routine and not add anything new to their lifestyle during this time. Recruiting meetings with more information are scheduled December 13 at 5:30 p.m. or January 10th, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. at the SLV Health Foundation Education and Conference Center (Grizzly Inn), 1921 Main Street Alamosa.

Contact Graduate Student Alexis Colwell (303)-547-6761 or [email protected] or Faculty Supervisor Tracey Robinson- [email protected] or (719)-587-7663.