Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well
This is a five-year Canada-wide project, offering FREE, 12-week exercise classes designed specifically for individuals undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment. In particular, EXCEL will target cancer survivors living in rural and remote regions across Canada.
Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well
Cancer treatments result in negative side effects that can impact daily activities, physical function, well-being, and quality of life. Evidence supports the benefit of physical activity and exercise to improve quality of life for most cancer types, at every stage of treatment and recovery. Many urban centres in Canada offer cancer-specific exercise programs, however rural and remote areas tend to lack exercise resources to support cancer survivors, resulting in lower activity levels, poorer health, and diminished quality of life. In particular, EXCEL will target cancer survivors living in rural and remote regions across Canada”.
Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well (EXCEL) is a 5-year Canada-wide project, funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), and the Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF). This project will increase the accessibility of exercise programs for rural and remote cancer survivors, empowering them to move more and thus achieve the many benefits that being physically active provides.
More about our project
By partnering with healthcare providers and community fitness experts, we offer an evidence-based exercise program that has been implemented widely in Alberta, the Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) program. In the Maritimes, a program based on ACE, called Activating Cancer Communities through an Exercise Strategy for Survivors (ACCESS) will be widely disseminated as part of EXCEL. This dissemination and implementation work will create accessible, effective, and enjoyable exercise resources for more cancer survivors, across Canada.
Through our program, we will implement exercise programs so that rural and remote cancer survivors can benefit from exercise as a self-management strategy to improve overall physical activity levels, health, and quality of life.
What our project offers
EXCEL is offering FREE, 12-week exercise classes designed specifically for individuals undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment. Classes are online through a secure video-conferencing platform, and where possible, in-person (post-COVID). Exercise classes will run twice a week in a circuit-style, focusing on cardiovascular, resistance training, balance, and stretching exercises. Our class instructors will also provide education to support your commitment to being more physically active.
Watch this EXCEL Outreach video for more information.
Physical Benefits
Psychological Benefits
EXCEL-Participant Exercise Experience
More information coming soon.
EXCEL-Technology
More information coming soon.
Have a question? Interested in joining us?
- Telephone: 403-210-8482
- Email: wellnesslab@ucalgary.ca
If you are a qualified exercise professional interested in joining our EXCEL network, please email us at wellnesslab@ucalgary.ca to find out more about our training program to support EXCEL implementation.
Message to our website visitors
Material on this website has been designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction, and/or treatment. If you have specific questions, please consult your doctor or an appropriate health care professional.