Purpose
Regular exercise is beneficial for cancer survivors and supervised in-person exercise programs have been shown to be the most effective and are therefore recommended in cancer care. However, most cancer survivors fail to meet the recommendations due to various barriers, including limited access to onsite exercise facilities, time constraints, and travel distance. Live-remote exercise interventions, supervised by exercise professionals in a home-based setting, could potentially enhance exercise availability and accessibility for cancer survivors, yet research on their perspectives is limited. This study explored cancer survivors’ experience of exercise within the context of a live-remote exercise intervention, to understand factors influencing exercise engagement.
Methods
This study employed a qualitative explorative design using focus groups with breast, prostate and colorectal cancer survivors who had participated in a 12-week live-remote exercise intervention. Focus groups using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted online via Zoom. Transcribed data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation model of Behaviour (COM-B) was applied as an interpretive framework.
Results
The analysis resulted in nine themes that were mapped onto COM-B domains. Factors influencing cancer survivors’ exercise engagement included exercise readiness following cancer treatment, bringing exercise closer, in capable hands, peer support through shared experience, life factors as hurdles or support, exercise as an integral component of cancer treatment, caring for myself and others after me, the positive impact of exercise exceeding expectations, and getting into the habit.
Conclusion
Identifying factors influencing exercise participation among cancer survivors, these findings emphasise live-remote’s potential benefit in overcoming barriers and fostering participation. Supervised by professionals, it offered psychosocial and exercise support, facilitating the integration of exercise into daily life. Elucidating key factors for exercise engagement within a live-remote context is essential for developing and implementing live-remote exercise interventions to ensure accessible, integrated exercise for optimal post-treatment well-being for cancer survivors.