Patient finds fitness makes for faster recovery

Five operations later while recovering from an aggressive melanoma, Bunbury man Wayne Bolton found a new lease on life through exercise.

Cancer Council’s Life Now Program allowed Mr Bolton to perform exercises in a controlled environment under the supervision of Maximum Results fitness trainer Chris Andrew.

Mr Bolton said being supported and knowing what exercises he could do was helpful.

Completing the 12-week program meant Mr Bolton lost weight, gained strength and had a quicker recovery.

“I had a really aggressive melanoma and in the program I have been surrounded by like-minded people and gained a range of movements I didn’t have before,” he said.

Mr Andrew said the peer support helped improve the patients’ confidence and spurred them on to complete the program.

“It is a prescription of exercises and knowing what you can and can’t do that we have helped teach,” he said.

“It was important to make sure we pitched it at where their strengths were and for some people a simple ‘sit to stand’ might be difficult.”

Cancer Council WA Life Now project officer Stephanie Lamb said the program helped patients manage side effects such as nausea, fatigue and improved sleeping patterns.