Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
"This is my home-based exercise": exploring environmental influences on home-based exercise participation in oncology
Christian J Lopez1,2, Cheryl Pritlove3,4, Jennifer M Jones2,5
1Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2W6, Canada.
Purpose:
Home-based exercise interventions offer many health benefits; however, the environments that constitute home-based exercise are not well-understood. The purpose of this study was to explore what constitutes the "home" for cancer survivors engaging in home-based exercise and identify factors of the environment that may impact exercise participation.
Methods:
We conducted a qualitative exploratory study of cancer survivors receiving a home-based exercise prescription to manage their cancer-related impairments. Semi-structured interviews included photo elicitation to actively involve participants in the interview process and provide opportunities to visually "observe" environments utilized for home-based exercise.
Results:
Sixteen participants were interviewed (n = 11 women, median age = 53.5, range = 26-74 years) and three themes emerged: (1) reasons for participating in a home-based exercise program; (2) physical environmental influences and preferences; and (3) social environmental influences and preferences. The ability to self-manage exercise and accommodate competing demands, having access to exercise facilities, feeling comfortable exercising without qualified supervision, and a desire for autonomy were reasons home-based exercise programs were preferred. Participants reported that the physical environment influenced their experience with home-based exercise and sub-themes related to a dynamic environment, indoor and outdoor characteristics, and aesthetics were identified. The social environment, with sub-themes associated with the presence of people, social climate, exercise modeling, connection, and exercise support, also related to exercise behavior.
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the influence of the physical and social environment on exercise prescription engagement. They further indicate the need for exercise professionals to consider the environment for exercise when delivering home-based exercise interventions.
More Related Videos
07:26Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
07:27Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results...
Dimensions of Health and Illness