Psychological aspects of physical activity in women with breast cancers

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Author/s Marco Guicciardi
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2017/3
Language Italian Pages 18 P. 97-114 File size 294 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2017-003005
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Physical activity can decrease mortality and improve Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of women with breast cancer. Aerobic activity or resistance training, produce positive results during and post treatment, but the magnitude of their effects is larger in survivors. To achieve this result, exercise must be carried out regularly and consistently. Since the dropout rate in the first six months would typically be 50%, and women who remain active, rarely practice with the intensity, frequency and duration necessary to obtain or maintain the benefits earned, is essential identify psychological variables that sustain the adherence to physical activity. Various psychological techniques have been successfully used to increase adherence to exercise (e.g. goal setting, self-monitoring, modelling, etc.) and different psychological theory ensures a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the maintenance of physical activity, tackles the barriers or reduces relapses in a sedentary lifestyle. Main psychophysical results obtained with physical activity undergoing cancer treatment, post-treatment and the survival phase are taken into account.

Keywords: Physical activity, exercise, well-being, survival, breast cancer, quality of life.

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Marco Guicciardi, Aspetti psicologici dell’attività fisica nelle donne con tumore al seno in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 3/2017, pp 97-114, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2017-003005