Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Q and A with the experts: cancer and exercise during a pandemic

The University of Waterloo has a number of experts available for comment on various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What options do cancer survivors have during a pandemic when there are limited in-person training options and reduced access to exercise facilities? With National Cancer Survivors Day on June 6, Marina Mourtzakis, a Kinesiology professor who leads Waterloo’s Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence, examines how to exercise safely as a cancer survivor during or after treatment.

Should cancer survivors be exercising during or after their treatments?

Yes, clinical experts from Cancer Care Ontario, the American College for Sports Medicine, as well as the Canadian Cancer Society recommend exercise both during and following treatment. Exercise is safe for people with cancer. Tailored exercise guidelines for cancer survivors have been developed and implemented worldwide. These guidelines recommend aiming for 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise two to three times per week, along with resistance training of all major muscle groups twice a week, with an emphasis on cancer-specific considerations and safety precautions. With expert guidance, it is entirely possible to achieve these exercise recommendations, either at home or outdoors in a safe and fun way, and even during stay-at-home orders.

What are the benefits of exercise for cancer survivors?

Based on Cancer Care Ontario and the consensus statement from the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise has many benefits for individuals with cancer, including improved sense of wellness, mental health, sleep, ability to carry out daily activities, bone health, as well as quality of life. It can also reduce the severity of treatment-related symptoms or side-effects such as fatigue, muscle weakness, nausea, depression, lymphedema, decreased immune system function and weight gain or loss. During the restricted access to exercise facilities during the pandemic, it is important to seek out safe, credible remote options to exercise programming for cancer survivors and patients.

With cancer patients being immunocompromised, how can they exercise while remaining safe during the pandemic?

There are several activities that cancer patients and survivors can do. Some are very similar to what works for the general population, like walking outdoors with a friend, when possible, or exploring your city on a bike. However, there are also specific exercise programs geared to cancer survivors in the community, ones that provide a combination of one-on-one exercise programs guided by clinical exercise physiologists who specialize in this area and create community support. There are several centres across Canada that offer exercise programs for cancer survivors. In the Waterloo-Wellington Region, we offer a unique remote option with individualized exercise prescriptions through the UW WELL-FIT cancer exercise program. Live-stream and pre-recorded classes are offered to cancer survivors so that they can safely participate in fitness programs in the comfort of their own homes.

The important thing is that cancer patients and survivors find activities to do during the pandemic that maintain their health without compromising their safety during treatment and connect them with a supportive community. If an individual is unsure about the best course of action for themselves, they should speak to their cancer physician or oncology clinic nurse, or connect with someone at a specific cancer exercise program like UW WELL-FIT.

Marina Moutzakis is an associate professor and associate chair applied research, partnerships and outreach in the Kinesiology and Health Sciences department of the Faculty of Health. Her research focuses on the interrelationship between nutrition, exercise, body composition and the effects of these factors on muscle metabolism in healthy people as well as patients with cancer.

Shad Waterloo running this month

Shad Waterloo will be running virtually from July 5 to 31 for 64 grade 10 and 11 students this year.

"We have been proudly hosting the Shad program on Waterloo’s campus since 1983," says the announcement from Shad Waterloo. "This pivotal experience has a profound impact on these bright and curious students. Many students love the Shad Waterloo program so much, they decide that Waterloo is where they’d like to pursue their undergrad studies."

At Shad students participate in hands-on learning, collaborate in design groups, explore post-secondary institutions, engage with academic and entrepreneurial mentors, experience vulnerability training, and meet some of the most passionate peers in the country. There are close to 20,000 alumni from this competitive-application program.

"We will be delivering the 2021 virtual program with workshops, lectures, and mentoring from Waterloo faculty across the campus that focus on STEAM-learning, design thinking, entrepreneurship, all while building some exceptional community," says the communication from Shad.

Rob Gorbet, associate professor and chair of the Department of Knowledge Integration is the Shad Waterloo Program Co-Director. Profesor Gorbet has been involved with Shad since 2008 and believes “it is amazing that Shad gets more female applicants than male applicants given that it is a mostly STEM-focused program.” Every year, for the past 40 years Shad has consistently been majority-female.

This summer Shad will be hosted at 16 campuses across Canada including Laurier, McGill, McMaster and UBC.

Each year, Shads take on a group design challenge to solve a social and economic issue with a STEAM lens. Each campus tackles the same real-world problem in designated design groups, and with assigned mentors they develop STEAM-based solutions. This is an entrepreneurial experience with a social impact twist, and one of the most beloved aspects of Shad’s program.

This year the design project theme is “How might we help Canadians treat our fresh water with more respect?”

New MPACS scholarship honours Malcolm X's legacy

Malcolm X in a mosque in Cairo, Egypt returning from his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca.

Conrad Grebel University College will be establishing a scholarship named for Malcolm X to support Black and Indigenous students in its Master of Peace and Conflict Studies program.

The vision for this new scholarship came from Majid Mizra, a PhD Candidate in Sustainability Management, who had launched a peace start-up called ESG Tree in Grebel's Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) Peace Incubator. ESG Tree provides Environmental, Social, and Governance screens to private equity companies. After hearing a speaker from the Yaqeen Institute speak about Malcolm X, Mirza was inspired to carry forward the legacy and connected with the CPA's Director, Paul Heidebrecht to move the idea forward. “This rekindled my admiration for the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program and it made me think that it would be wonderful to have PACS as a vessel and platform for continuing the legacy of Malcolm X through a scholarship." 

“This endowed scholarship bearing the name of Malcolm X, and dedicated to the advancement of racial justice as well as interfaith harmony, will serve as a constant reminder of the kind of community we strive to be,” said Professor Nathan Funk, outgoing chair of the PACS program. “Grappling with peace and justice issues means that we cannot afford to have crucial voices absent from the room, and we need to honour the contributions and experiences of Black and Indigenous students.”

“One of the things that consistently impresses and amazes me about Majid is the way he prioritizes deep peace and justice issues and brings his whole self to the CPA, including his Muslim faith and racial identity,” said Paul Heidebrecht.

“I believe Brother Malcolm is the embodiment of speaking truth to power,” said Mirza. “In addition, he was the voice of the voiceless.” As a result, Malcolm X or Malik Shabazz as he was known in the last chapter of his life, was a controversial figure. Mirza observed “that he only changed his opinion frequently because he was constantly striving for truth, and this is an infinite journey.” Mirza has been in correspondence with Ilyasah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, who endorsed the establishment of this named scholarship.

Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcolm X’s daughters, joined peace-oriented students, staff, faculty, and donors on a Zoom call to celebrate the launch of the scholarship.

"It is with immense pleasure and gratitude that we support the Malcolm X Peace and Conflict Studies Scholarship at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo,” wrote Ilyasah Shabazz, Co-Chairperson of The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. “There is no better time than now to launch this scholarship, which is established to recognize Master of Peace and Conflict Studies students who demonstrate a commitment to social justice, inter-racial harmony, and inter-faith dialogue. The focus of my father's life was an unwavering and unapologetic commitment to truth and justice, and we hope that this scholarship will inspire students to live in his footsteps at a time when it is needed most." Recipients of this award will be students who have demonstrated these commitments through on-campus or off-campus volunteer activities.

Read the full announcement on the Conrad Grebel University College website.

Wednesday's notes

"Tired of writing alone?" asks the Writing and Communication Centre. "Join our PJ-Friendly Writing Groups for Undergrads. You can get your work done while socializing with others. Join us on Microsoft Teams every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Then, check in with us through the week via Microsoft Teams to get motivation, recourses, and solidarity through the assignments." Visit https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/pj-friendly-writing-groups-undergrads-0 to find out more.

The proposal deadline for the 2021 WatITis conference has been extended until Thursday, July 8. "If you are interested in presenting at WatITis, please submit a brief synopsis of your presentation idea to https://uwaterloo.ca/watitis/call-for-papers," says a note from the WatITis organizing committee.

If you have any questions about the proposal submission process, please contact Nathan Lee (n4lee@uwaterloo.ca) or Shah Chandon(shah.chandon@uwaterloo.ca).

The 19^th annual WatITis conference will be held on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.

The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) is seeking proposals for the Staff Excellence Fund. "The UWSA Staff Excellence Fund Committee provides project funding recommendations for the Staff Excellence Fund (SEF) to the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC)," says a message from UWSA.

The completed on-line application and any supporting documentation are due by July 15, 2021. Please contact staffasc@uwaterloo.ca if you require further information about the SEF or the application process.

Plant Operations has announced that the J.R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall (RCH) remains locked down this morning after an issue with the building's fire protection system was identified yesterday afternoon. "The issue with the fire protection system at RCH has been resolved, and the building has returned to the its pre-incident operating status," says the announcement from Plant Ops, but the building closure will be in effect until at least 10:00 a.m. this morning. During this time, the building is closed to the public, and only authorized personnel should enter. If you have any questions about this building closure, contact Brian MacVicar at b2macvicar@uwaterloo.ca.