Bootcamp During Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

This is a randomized, single-site pilot study incorporating one control group. This research involves an exercise group and a non-exercise group (control group). The patients who are in the exercise group will be enrolled in the Dallas County Women's Adventure Boot Camp. This will require them to undergo exercise training 3 times per week, under the direction of an experienced personal trainer in a group setting. All Boot Camp personal trainers are trained in basic cardiac life support (CPR) and are trained to watch for any signs or symptoms associated with a poor exercise response. The investigators hypothesize that randomizing women to a supervised exercise program of core conditioning, muscular/circuit training, and short distance running administered during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer can be performed. Patients will continue on study as they are undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for their breast cancer. This will be about 4 - 6 months.

The exercise protocol will consist of activities including walking/running up to a mile, calisthenics (jumping jacks, short relays, rapid punches) and light (no greater than 5 pounds) weight lifting. The patients who do not receive the exercise program will be allowed to do what they would normally do during their neoadjuvant chemotherapy. They are allowed to engage in their own exercise regimens and diet modifications. Subjects will receive the chemotherapy as directed by their physicians, and then undergo surgery as planned. Randomization will occur by drawing cards entitled "exercise" or "control" from an envelope and then assigning the patient to this group.