Friday, March 29, 2024
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Hike to Recovery Sets Out to Encourage Physical Activity for Cancer Patients

The Hike to Recovery program helps cancer patients and survivors in the Upper Cumberland by providing free lead hikes.

Tom Rally is the Cancer Center Manager at Cumberland Medical Center.

“There is always a benefit to physical activity for them. It helps them deal with the side effects of the treatment. It helps them bounce back from treatments a lot quicker,” Rally said. “And in certain kinds of cancers, it helps to increase long-term survival. It is one of the biggest factors in the long-term survival, especially in breast and colon cancer. Even more so than quitting smoking or losing weight.”

Rally said the Cumberland Medical Center wanted to create an easy way for cancer patients to take control of their health outside of the hospital.

“It just kind of grew into a much bigger program. It grew into this where we have now five different trails,” Rally said. “It’s all just taking care of our patients more than when they are at our hospital. It is reaching out to our community and doing what we can.”

Hikes take place at five different trails including Centennial Park, St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church’s Meditation Trail, and Fairfield Glade’s Friends of the Trails.

Various partnerships grew out of the program as well, Rally said.

“Its just been positive reviews. They just love the idea. It’s a great chance for patients to get out and exercise with their families too,” Rally said. “That was one of the big benefits of it. It is a thing you can go out and exercise with other people that are kind of going through the same thing and you can take your family with you.”

In July, the Hike to Recovery will start hikes at the new Bryd Lake Trial, Rally said.  Bryd Lake Trail will serve as an ADA Accessible trail option.

The program started June 5 and continues through August.

For more information on hike dates, visit the Cumberland Medical Center website.

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