Background/Objective. Breast Cancer (BC) is a growing medical concern that may heavily influence sexual functioning (SF) and body image (BI) in BC patients. In healthy individuals, physical exercise (PE) has been proposed as a crucial factor to improve BI. However, little is known about the effects of PE on BI and SF in BC patients. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarize the extant literature regarding the effects of PE on BI and SF in these populations. Methods. Our review, conducted using the PRISMA extension for a Scoping Review, was carried out in three databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Only Randomized Control Trials (RCT) evaluating the effects of different types of PE on BI and/or SF in a population affected by or who have survived BC were included. Results. The literature search yielded 488 studies. Twelve studies resulted in being eligible for inclusion in this review. The effects of aerobic exercise on BI and SF were scant. Studies employing resistance training as PE provided contrasting results. Conversely, studies using holistic approaches yielded larger benefits on BI and SF. Conclusions. Our results showed that PE has marginal effects on BI and SF. PE interventions longer than six months and based on holistic activities should be implemented to improve BI and SF in BC patients. To safely draw conclusions on the effects of PE on BI and SF, future studies should consider more accurate monitoring of exercise intensity, and a thorough evaluation of the possible mediators of the effects of PE in these populations.

Age-related muscle mass and force reduction may ultimately pave the way for loss of independence, reduced quality of life (QoL) and increased falls, which represents one of the primary causes of hospitalization and death among the elderly. Physical exercise (PE) is widely proposed to reduce the risk of falls (RoF) in the elderly, and Taekwondo (TKD) seems a particularly suitable activity for this purpose. Therefore, this single-arm longitudinal observational study aims to evaluate (a) the effects of a six-month adapted TKD course on RoF by means of an instrumented version of the timed up and go test (TUG) and (b) differences after six months of TKD on TUG temporal and kinematic variables. Twenty elderly participants of both sexes (age: 64.6 ± 4.2 years; mass: 76.0 ± 15.0 kg; stature: 1.63 ± 0.10 m) were assessed before (T0) and after (T6) six months of adapted TKD by means of the i-TUG test. TUG, walking phases and time to sit duration were shorter than at T0. Furthermore, during walking phases, antero-posterior linear acceleration increased significantly. The adapted TKD course was suitable to improve functional mobility in the elderly, and the use of the instrumented TUG allowed us to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these improvements.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a widely used training method to increase muscle strength and power. However, its working mechanisms are still poorly understood, and studies investigating the effects of WBV on muscle stiffness are scant. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the acute effects of WBV on stiffness and countermovement jump (CMJ). Twenty-four recreationally active males, on separate days and in random order, performed a static squat under two different conditions: with WBV (WBV) or without vibration (CC). Muscle stiffness was assessed through the Wartenberg pendulum test, and CMJ was recorded. RM-ANOVA was employed to test differences between conditions in the above-mentioned variables. In the CC condition, stiffness was significantly lower after the exposure to the static squat (p = 0.006), whereas no difference was observed after the exposure to WBV. WBV and CC did not affect CMJ. No significant correlation was observed between changes in CMJ and changes in stiffness. Our results show that WBV may mitigate the reduction in muscle stiffness observed after static squats. However, current results do not support the notion that WBV exposure may account for an increase in CMJ performance.

Breast cancer (BC) surgery often reduces upper limb range of motion (ROM), negatively affecting quality of life. Since most research focuses on early recovery, this study investigates differences in ROM between the surgical (SA) and non-surgical (NS) arms in BC survivors and between recent (2.5 years—NR) surgery groups. Upper limb kinematics (flexion–extension, abduction, internal–external rotation) were recorded using inertial measurement units in 26 BC survivors (age: 48.92 ± 7.89 years; stature: 1.57 ± 0.05 m; mass: 66.59 ± 14.07 kg; BMI: 27.14 ± 5.71 kg/m²). ROM, angular velocity, and movement smoothness were analyzed. The SA group demonstrated reduced ROM during flexion (p = 0.023) and extension (p = 0.005) compared to the NS group. Within the RS group, the SA group exhibited lower ROM (p = 0.005), reduced peak angular velocity (p = 0.008), and average angular velocity (p = 0.006) during extension compared with the NR group. Additionally, the average extension angular velocity of the arm among the NS group was higher in the RS group than in the NR group. BC surgery causes persistent upper limb kinematic impairments, mainly during flexion and extension, which can be observed up to six years after surgery. Therefore, early and continuous tailored physical exercise is highly recommended to mitigate these long-term functional deficits.