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Background The purpose of this study is to verify the improvement of remote qigong intervention on the quality of life and physical fitness of breast cancer patients after surgery by means of a randomized controlled trial and to compare it with the conventional exercise combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training. Methods/design The research approach applied in this study is a randomized controlled trial. After completing the baseline questionnaire and physical fitness test, participants were randomly assigned to either the qigong group or the combined exercise rehabilitation group. Patients in the qigong group performed Qigong-Baduanjin twice a week for 30 min each time under remote guidance and practiced Baduanjin by themselves at other times. Patients in the combined exercise rehabilitation group were given resistance training twice a week for 30 min under remote guidance, and walking the rest of the time. At the end of the 12-week intervention, outcomes testing and data collection were carried out. The primary outcomes are quality of life, measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FATC-B). The secondary outcomes include cardiopulmonary endurance, upper limb strength, lower limb strength, and skinfold thickness. Discussion The importance of postoperative exercise rehabilitation for breast cancer has been gradually accepted by more and more doctors and patients, but further research and development of simple and practical means of exercise rehabilitation are necessary. Remote qigong intervention for breast cancer patients via the Internet will be a great alternative. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900027989. Registered on December 7, 2019.

Background Breast cancer (BC) patients who undergo surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy have limitations on physical activity which will lead to a decreased quality of life and poor physical fitness level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the combined exercise intervention based on internet and social media software (CEIBISMS) on postoperative breast cancer patients by evaluating their quality of life, muscle strength and cardiorespiratory capacity. Methods This study was a randomized control trial with an intervention period of 12 weeks. Sixty participants (30 in each group, 42–60 years old, female) were recruited through an outpatient department. Procedure of exercise in the intervention group included: via phone step-recording app, ask the individuals to complete the target number of steps within a specified period of exercise, four times per week; face-to-face remote video instruction of individuals on muscle training, three times per week; via social media apps daily push common knowledge of physical exercise BC rehabilitation. The control group received traditional treatment and rehabilitation according to daily specifications of the hospital. The primary outcome was quality of life and the secondary outcomes were muscle strength and cardiorespiratory capacity. Results Experiments using a Short Form 36 showed that the CEIBISMS yielded significantly better results than traditional methods, in vitality (p = 0.009), mental health (p = 0.001) and reported health transition (p = 0.048) by week 12. The CEIBISMS resulted in significant improvement in the stand-up and sit-down chair test (p