Get Real & Heel
Get Real & Heel is a unique program designed to serve cancer patients in North Carolina. Get Real & Heel integrates individualized prescriptive exercise administered in small groups to provide a program that strengthens your body and mind.
We’ll develop an individualized plan that will help you manage cancer treatment related symptoms and help you increase your chances of survivorship while increasing your quality of life.
Thanks to the Johnston Health Foundation we can provide this program at no cost to participants.
Be active in your fight against cancer. Talk to your physician and review enrollment eligibility to see if the Get Real & Heel program is right for you!
Participants in the Get Real & Heel program will be a part of an exercise therapy program 3 times per week for a period of 12 weeks.
The exercise program may include:
- Cardiovascular activities on various types of aerobic exercise equipment
- Weight training
- Flexibility exercises (including specific exercises to regain surgical side shoulder range-of-motion)
- Balance training
Why Exercise?
The acute and chronic side effects usually associated with the diagnosis and the administration of cancer treatments has increasingly gained attention in the oncology arena. The medical community has begun to recognize the importance of using complementary forms of therapy to alleviate some of the side-effects produced by cancer treatments.
A debilitative state of fatigue is among the most common side-effects experienced by upwards of 72% of all cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment. Other prevalent side-effects include pain, loss of muscle mass, loss of strength, depression, nausea, and shortness of breath which alone or in combination decreases the functionality of patients, thus diminishing overall quality of life.
While the trend in oncology is to address some of these symptoms with the administration of pharmacological treatments, some of these strategies provide only temporary relief.
Complementary alternative therapies such as exercise have received attention for their ability to complement symptom management strategies currently used by oncology physicians.
Research has shown that when administered prior, during, and post cancer treatment, exercise has assisted patients significantly decrease fatigue, improve strength and endurance, conserve muscle mass, improve metabolism, improve stress management, improve heart rate coherence and heart rate variability, and develop effective coping skills. In turn, individuals are likely to feel better physically and emotionally.
Eligibility and Enrollment
Eligibility
You may be eligible for the program if you can answer “yes” to the following questions:
- Have you had or do you have a confirmed diagnosis of cancer?
- Is it safe for you to participate in low-to-moderate intensity regular exercise?
Enrollment
Follow these easy steps to join us!
- Contact the program coordinator, Lauren Gregg, to determine your eligibility at 919-938-7581, Lauren.Gregg@unchealth.unc.edu or GetRealandHeelJohnston@unchealth.unc.edu
- Obtain written clearance for participation from your oncologist. The program coordinator can help you with this.
- Schedule your assessment with the program coordinator
- Once you are enrolled, you can sign up for classes.
Risks & Disclosures
While we do not anticipate that individuals will experience any psychological or physiological harm from participation in the Get Real & Heel program, some risks do exist. Participants may experience some muscle soreness or joint trauma during the program. The Get Real & Heel staff takes every precaution possible to avoid such discomfort and in the unlikely event of injury or harm we will do our best to rectify the situation.
Contact Information
514 North Bright Leaf Blvd
Smithfield, NC 27577
919-938-7581
HealthQuestNC.org
GetRealandHeelJohnston@unchealth.unc.edu
