The Cancer Exercise Counseling Program at UCSF offers one-on-one exercise counseling to cancer patients at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Jane Clark and Regan Fedric, cancer exercise trainers certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, offer hour-long exercise classes for cancer patients who are undergoing or who have completed treatment.

Patients of all ages and fitness levels are welcome. Sessions, funded by grants and donations, are free to patients. Donations are accepted from those who are able to contribute.

Research has shown that regular exercise speeds recovery for cancer survivors, promotes the effectiveness and complements other parts of treatment and can significantly deter recurrence rates.

• Breast Cancer — Women who participated in any moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, after breast cancer diagnosis had a 64 percent lower risk of death compared to inactive women. Exercise also reduces the risk of lymphedema, which causes swelling in the arms or legs.
• Colon Cancer — Colon cancer survivors who walked six or more hours per week showed 47 percent improvement in disease-free survival compared with inactive patients.
• Prostate Cancer — For prostate cancer survivors, exercise reduced the risk of incontinence and mitigated side effects while receiving hormone therapy and radiation.

The exercise program is designed for each patient's needs, abilities and interests. Patients receive a demonstration of the exercises, a written set of exercise recommendations that can be done at home and referrals to group yoga and exercise classes. Trainers offer tips and strategies for success and make follow-up telephone calls.

Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an appointment, call (415) 514-6430.

Appointments are held on Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ida and Joseph Friend Cancer Resource Center.

For more information about exercise classes, visit the Cancer Resource Center website.