MSA Program

A kinesio-oncology program for people affected by or at risk of developing breast cancer

The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation developed, in 2017, the My Active Health^TM program. Financially supported by Ultramar, this program aims to help motivate and maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle. It offers free services, adapted to each person’s condition, thanks to the expertise of physical activity professionals.

My Yoga

My Yoga offers classes adapted to people affected by breast cancer. The teachers participating in this component are trained and accredited by our My Active Health^TM program, and offer their classes right in their own studios. My Yoga aims to offer an experience that is supervised, safe and based on scientific evidence.

Learn more about oncology yoga classes

Dragon Boat Teams

The sport of dragon boating is gaining popularity among people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Foundation supports five teams across Quebec. In addition to fostering a strong team spirit, dragon boating brings many benefits for people who have been affected by breast cancer. These include greater shoulder mobility, improved upper-limb strength and better lymphedema control. In addition to regular team training, paddlers can also compete at the local, regional, provincial and even international levels!

Learn more about dragon boat teams

Sophrology

Sophrology is a practice based on body-mind activation, relaxation, meditation and mindfulness techniques aimed at developing serenity and well-being. Recommended as supportive oncology care, especially in Europe, sophrology offers valuable physical and psychological support for cancer sufferers.

Learn more about sophrology

Private Facebook Group – My Active Health

The Foundation set up a private Facebook group in order to provide a secure space that facilitates sharing between people affected by breast cancer.

This group, supervised by health professionals (kinesiologists), was created with the goal of forming a positive community of people who motivate, support and encourage each other in their journey to a healthy and physically active lifestyle.

People affected by breast cancer will find on this group the motivation, encouragement and listening they need to be active in their own individual way before, during and after treatments.

Join the My Active Health Facebook Group

Mobile App – My Active Health

The My Active Health^TM app will help you stay active and help manage your Care Plan. Tailor-made for you, the app offers exercises adapted to your energy level and your physical limitations, in addition to giving you a global view of your medication intake, treatments and medical follow-ups.

My Exercise Videos

From the comfort of your own home, no matter where you live in the country, you can do a variety of exercises to increase your flexibility and muscle strength, and reduce your stress and fatigue! Check out these video clips by our kinesiologist, who is specialized in oncology, on the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation’s YouTube channel.

Watch our Exercises Videos

1. Make physical activity accessible by offering free services to people affected by breast cancer throughout Quebec.
2. Get and keep people motivated for physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
3. Give people the tools and help them develop new skills to practice daily physical activity.
4. Create a community for sharing, exchange and support.
5. Fund research on physical activity in relation to breast cancer.

• Improves breast cancer survival
• Reduces fatigue
• Facilitates body weight management
• Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
• Reduces the intensity of treatment-related side effects
• Maintains bone health and muscle mass
• Improves shoulder mobility after surgery
• Stabilizes lymphedema
• Improves or maintains quality of life during and after treatment
• Reduces the intensity of cancer treatment–related side effects
• Eases the return to work and to regular activities after treatment

It is scientifically proven that exercise is a safe and effective complementary therapy. Not only does it free the mind and calm and soothe the body, it will also help you better endure treatment and speed up your return to functional energy levels.

Exercise is easier and more accessible than you might think. In fact, physical activity also means taking part in day-to-day activities, working, enjoying leisure activities and getting around.

• Avoid inactivity.
• Resume your daily living activities as soon as possible after surgery.
• Continue your regular physical activities as much as possible during and after non-surgical treatments.
• The general recommendations for exercise are the same for those affected by cancer as for the general population.

Replace an inactive lifestyle by :

• Gradually adding blocks of 5, 10 or 15 minutes of physical activity to your day,
• All the while, respecting your current pace and condition
• Finding opportunities to replace inactive times with light physical activity.

In support of these recommandations

• Getting 150 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity exercise per week reduces the risk of developing breast cancer by 25%
• In people who have been affected, the risk of recurrence decreases by 12–21% with just 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
• In a survey of 232 people with breast cancer, 82% said they were interested in increasing their physical activity. The obstacle? Their lack of motivation.

References

• Organisation Mondiale de la Santé  
• Impact de l’activité physique sur les effets indésirables de la maladie et des traitements chez les survivants adultes d’un cancer 
• INESSS, Impact de l’activité physique sur les effets indésirables associés au cancer et aux traitements oncologiques chez l’adulte 
• American Cancer society, Physical Activity and the Person with Cancer 
• Ibrahim EM, Al-Homaidh A. Physical activity and survival after breast cancer diagnosis: meta-analysis of published studies. Med Oncol. 2011 Sep;28(3):753-65. doi: 10.1007/s12032-010-9536-x. Epub 2010 Apr 22. PMID: 20411366. 
• Schmid D, Leitzmann MF. Association between physical activity and mortality among breast cancer and colorectal cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Oncol. 2014 Jul;25(7):1293-1311. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdu012. Epub 2014 Mar 18. PMID: 24644304. 
• Cannioto RA, Hutson A, Dighe S, McCann W, McCann SE, Zirpoli GR, Barlow W, Kelly KM, DeNysschen CA, Hershman DL, Unger JM, Moore HCF, Stewart JA, Isaacs C, Hobday TJ, Salim M, Hortobagyi GN, Gralow JR, Albain KS, Budd GT, Ambrosone CB. Physical Activity Before, During, and After Chemotherapy for High-Risk Breast Cancer: Relationships With Survival. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2021 Jan 4;113(1):54-63. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djaa046. PMID: 32239145; PMCID: PMC7781460. 
• Elshahat, S., Treanor, C. & Donnelly, M. Factors influencing physical activity participation among people living with or beyond cancer: a systematic scoping review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 18, 50 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01116-9