Speaker
Description
Background: Inova’s Peterson Life with Cancer (PLWC) is a nationally recognized supportive care program providing free psychosocial, integrative medicine, and educational services to individuals with cancer and their families across Northern Virginia, USA. Embedded within this model is an exercise oncology program delivering no-cost, community-based movement and fitness classes. The program addresses persistent gaps in access to safe, tailored exercise, particularly for individuals facing financial, geographic, treatment-related, or functional barriers to commercial fitness services.
Program Description: In 2025, PLWC delivered 680 exercise classes across diverse modalities, e.g., functional training, chair-based exercise, cardio drumming, strength and conditioning, men’s fitness workshops, Barre/Pilates fusion, tai chi, restorative yoga, Yin yoga for patients in treatment, and dance-based programming, complemented by one-on-one exercise consultations. Classes are intentionally designed to foster social connection through peer support, accountability, and approachability, supporting sustained engagement during and after cancer treatment. Programming is delivered through a hybrid telehealth and in-person model, dedicated on-site space, a centralized registration system, and minimal exercise equipment. The program is staffed by full-time exercise oncology professionals and contracted instructors and supported through institutional infrastructure and philanthropic funding, enabling universal access regardless of insurance status, diagnosis, or socioeconomic factors. This model also serves as a pragmatic platform for clinical trial collaboration to evaluate exercise-based interventions and supportive care delivery models across the cancer continuum.
Results: In 2025, the program averaged 817 exercise encounters per month, totaling 9,806 encounters annually and representing participation by approximately 700 unique patients. Nearly one-quarter of participants (23%) attended 12 or more classes annually, indicating sustained engagement.
Conclusions: Backed by institutional support and philanthropic investment, this community-based exercise program demonstrates that delivering large-scale exercise programming without financial burden to patients and families is feasible and sustainable. The PLWC model offers a scalable approach embedding accessible, socially-supportive exercise programming within comprehensive cancer care.
Keywords
exercise oncology; community-based programming; cancer survivorship; implementation model
| Abstract submitters declaration | yes |
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| Conflict of Interest & Ethical Approval | yes |
