Free fitness classes are available to cancer survivors
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is partnering with Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine and three athletic facilities to offer cancer survivors 12 weeks of exercise classes focused on building strength and improving overall fitness. These free classes are provided as part of an exercise program and interventional trial called CrossFit® and Physical Activity: A Better Life Experience (CAPABLE), which introduces cancer survivors to the sport of CrossFit®. Below are the sessions scheduled to begin soon and run through the spring and summer:
Five Lakes CrossFit
24269 Indoplex Circle
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Sessions start on Monday, March 2, and conclude in May.
Find more information on this session here.
810 CrossFit
8130 Industrial Park Dr.
Grand Blanc, MI 48439
Sessions start on Monday, March 16, and conclude in June.
Find more information on this session here.
CrossFit® in the D
150 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48226
Sessions start on Monday, April 27, and conclude in July.
Find more information on this session here.
Previous exercise experience is not necessary to participate. Download the flyer to share with patients.
What is CAPABLE? Why Should Your Patients Participate?
CAPABLE is a 12-week physical education program with three sessions per week. In the sessions, cancer survivors are introduced to the sport of CrossFit.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that cancer survivors resume regular physical activity as soon as possible after diagnosis. They also recommend survivors exercise for 150-300 minutes weekly, including strength training. Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer, Ph.D., MPH, principal investigator of the CAPABLE study, leader of the Population Studies (PS) Research Program, scientific director of the Epidemiology Research Core at Karmanos, and professor of Oncology at WSU, designed CAPABLE to help survivors learn how to meet these exercise and strength-training recommendations and to teach fitness skills they can use well beyond the classes.
Exercise for Cancer Survivors Supported by Research
Dr. Beebe-Dimmer and a team of researchers published The Impact of Moderate to High Intensity Physical Activity on Sleep Health in Cancer Survivors in Cancer Medicine in January 2026. This study used data from the CAPABLE intervention and the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort, one of the largest studies in history that researches the complex causes for the poorer outcomes experienced by African American cancer survivors. Both studies reveal that cancer survivors who meet ACS’s exercise recommendations report less insomnia and better sleep quality, showing that exercise is a benefit to cancer survivors. The team has previously shown that sleep health is one of the most important predictors of cancer survivor quality of life in this population.
Additional recent research that supports exercise for cancer survivors can be found in “Association Between Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP) and Survival in Patients with Stage III Colon Cancer: Findings From CLGB/SWOG 80702 (ALLIANCE)" (presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2025), which is a study co-led by Anthony Shields, M.D., Ph.D., associate center director for Clinical Sciences, member of the Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Oncology Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), the Phase I Clinical Trials MDT, the Molecular Therapeutics Researcher Program at Karmanos, and professor of Oncology at WSU; and “Structured Exercise After Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer,” published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2025.
The CAPABLE Study
In June 2023, Dr. Beebe-Dimmer and her research team published “The Impact of High Intensity Interval Training in a Diverse Group of Cancer Survivors: CAPABLE, A Pilot Study,” in Preventive Medicine. This study featured 48 metro Detroit cancer survivors who participated in CAPABLE. Participants were mostly breast and prostate cancer survivors, which are two of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in metro Detroit. Karmanos and WSU researchers found that participants tolerated the CAPABLE format of physical education and strength training well over the 12-week period. Benefits included weight loss, improved quality of life and lower HbA1c levels among participants. Plus, this study emphasizes community building and social support among cancer survivors and strengthens the ability to do functional movements required for everyday living.
As part of the program, researchers will continue to examine the benefits of CrossFit training for cancer survivors, including its effects on functional performance, cardiovascular endurance, metabolic health, and “everything from physical fitness and body composition to sleep health and quality of life,” said Dr. Beebe-Dimmer.
Is Your Patient Eligible to Participate in CAPABLE?
Participants must be adults, 18 years or older, and be a cancer survivor, no matter what type of cancer they were diagnosed with. Patients who had a widely metastatic diagnosis to the brain or bones are excluded from participating in the program for precautionary reasons. Participants must have reliable transportation to travel to the sessions. All participants must also receive medical clearance from their oncologist or primary care provider.
Where is CAPABLE Offered?
Karmanos and WSU have partnerships with five CrossFit gyms across Michigan. These include programs in Detroit, Grand Blanc, Farmington Hills, Petoskey, and Rochester Hills. Sessions begin at various times throughout the year.
Download the flyer to share with patients.
Get More Information & Have Your Patients Sign Up
For more information about CAPABLE, contact Tara Baird, program coordinator, at bairdt@wayne.edu or 313-578-4246. Patients may sign up by filling out the form at karmanos.org/CAPABLE or by emailing CAPABLE@wayne.edu.