The effectiveness of exercise and rowing in improving physical fitness and enjoyment of activity in breast cancer survivors.

INTRODUCTION: Numerous studies highlighted the importance of physical exercise in improving physical fitness (PF) among breast cancer survivors1. Rowing emerged as a valuable form of physical activity, yielding improvements in both anthropometry and aerobic capacity, muscle strength and general flexibility, that encouraged active participation2. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured 6-month exercise program – which included one weekly session of sculling (a form of sliding-seat rowing moving the boat with two oars per rower), one or two weekly sessions of Adapted Physical Activity (APA), and walking – on PF and exercise perception. METHODS: The project “Effect and efficacy of RowIng in breast CancEr survivors” (ERICE) included 27 women breast cancer survivors (age 56.7±6.5 yrs; BMI 23.9±2.9 kg/m2; stages I, II, or III; surgery at least 6 months to a maximum of 20 years ago). The sample underwent two testing periods: before (T0, March) and after (T1, October) the exercise protocol. The evaluated characteristics were cardiorespiratory fitness (6 Minute Walking Test _6MWT), muscular endurance (30s Chair Stand Test_30CST), flexibility (V Sit and Reach_VSR), and enjoyment in performing physical exercise (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale _ PACES-It). RESULTS: Nineteen subjects who completed the program were included in the analysis, only 13 attained the required adherence (75%; N: 6_NAD vs N: 13_AD). The results indicate a slight improvement in the physical fitness parameters: aerobic endurance (6MWT_T0: 631.7±48.9; T1: 630.5±57.0 m) remained stable, muscular endurance increased (30CST_T0: 14.2±2.1; T1: 15.5±1.8 reps), while flexibility declined (VSR_T0: 25.6±11.5; T1: 24.3±10.2 cm). The perception of enjoyment (PACES-It) attained a greater improvement in women who achieved the required adherence (ΔAD, 4±8.6 vs ΔNAD, -7±14.6, p=0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical exercise, including sculling, has been shown to have an impact on functional fitness and the perception of enjoyment in breast cancer survivors. Notably, improvements in physical quality parameters were observed only among participants who had below-average baseline (T0) values or achieved adherence levels above 90%. This suggests that high program compliance and lower initial fitness levels may be critical factors in optimizing the benefits of the exercise intervention. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of exercise programs of different types and intensities to better understand these relationships.