Working out to decrease chance for cancer recurrence

Fitness is now a big part of life after breast cancer treatment, both to feel better and to beat the odds against a recurrence.

Lynne Knauss's breast cancer was caught very early, but it was a very aggressive type, so after surgery, she needed intense treatment.

"I went through four cycles of chemotherapy. I began on January 2nd of 2014, happy new year, and I finished my chemo in March," Lynne said. "Then the following month in April, I began radiation."

After those five months, she had no cancer, but she also had no energy.

"You're so tired, you can't believe how tired you are," Lynne said.

Lynne wanted to bring her energy up, so she could bring her weight down.

As soon as her doctor gave the OK, she started Virtua's 8-week cancer fitness program.

Trainer Lauren Triboletti personalizes the regimen for each patient's needs.

"Fatigue, mostly. Upper body sorenes, the range of motion especially in the shoulders is usually down a little bit," Lauren said.

Weight gain is also a big concern.

It's common for women who have chemotherapy to gain 5 to 15 - even 25 - pounds - in a year.

"Your body's in a different shape than it was before you started, and now you have to figure out how to live the rest of your life with that body shape," Lauren said.

Triboletti starts patients slowly, gradually raising the time and intensity.

Lynne says the gym-time increased her energy, and that motivated her to keep coming back.

"If not for the program, I probably would have just gone home, sat down, and felt depleted," Lynne said.

"The more you can come in here to do this, the faster you can move on and go back to normal life," Lauren said.

There's another plus: research shows exercise decreases the risk cancer will come back.

Like many other patients, Lynne has stayed on past the initial 8 weeks, working on that ultimate goal.

"Either you run your life, or your life runs you, and I'm running my life," Lynne said.