Breast Cancer Survivors' Compliance to Personal Training Versus Group-Based Exercise

Background: This study reports on breast cancer survivors' compliance to the exercise prescription (ExRx) of a personal training (PT) or group-based (GB) exercise intervention. Methods: Breast cancer survivors who had completed chemotherapy and/or radiation within the previous year were randomly assigned to PT or GB. All participants completed supervised aerobic and resistance training sessions twice per week for 8 weeks. Compliance to aerobic and resistance exercise intensity (i.e., % heart rate reserve, and % 1-repetition maximum [1-RM]) and aerobic exercise duration ExRx is reported, and average aerobic and resistance exercise intensity was calculated. Independent t tests compared percent compliance and average intensity between PT and GB. The proportion of participants above or below ExRx was examined using frequencies. Results: ExRx compliance ranged from 64% to 98%. Compliance to aerobic exercise intensity and duration was higher in PT than GB (P < 0.05). Average upper body resistance training exercise intensity was higher in PT (73% 1-RM) vs GB (56% 1-RM) (P = 0.01). Noncompliance to aerobic ExRx was more commonly due to intensity or duration below the ExRx. Noncompliance to resistance training ExRx was distributed equally above or below ExRx. Conclusion: Compliance to aerobic ExRx and average upper body resistance training intensity was higher in PT, suggesting that exercise professionals in GB settings should consider closely monitoring breast cancer survivors' adherence to ExRx.