Another great program that the LIVESTRONG foundation participates in...
In 2007, LIVESTRONG and YMCA of the USA joined forces to create LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, a program to support people affected by cancer reach their health and well-being goals. The YMCA is the perfect collaborator because of its national reach, commitment to meeting the needs of all community members, and history of program innovation in support of health and wellness. Throughout the four-year collaboration, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA will be integrated into YMCAs across the country, with the potential to impact tens of thousands of people affected by cancer.
Research has indicated that physical activity after cancer treatments helps to reduce fatigue, improve mood, and increase muscle strength and physical endurance. With 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States today, there is a great need to offer those living with, through and beyond cancer a safe and accommodating environment where they can engage in physical and social activities.
How are the YMCA and LIVESTRONG working together to improve the lives of people affected by cancer?
At LIVESTRONG, we hear from cancer survivors who were once physically active, but due to their cancer treatment have either quit engaging in physical activity completely or have a limited ability to be active. Cancer survivors are often unsure of the type of physical activity that is safe after completing treatment.
LIVESTRONG wants to support cancer survivors in their return to physical activity and we found the perfect collaborator—the YMCA. Collectively, the YMCA is one of the nation's largest, not-for-profit providers of health and well-being programs. Approximately 57 percent of U.S. households are within three miles of a YMCA, so whether you are a current member of your local YMCA, grew up going to the Y or have just heard of it, you likely are somehow connected to the Y either directly or indirectly.
To ensure that LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is safe and effective, we have worked with YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for YMCAs, and a group of expert advisors to gather best practices related to physical activity and cancer survivors. We have also identified the many ways YMCA staff can engage and support people affected by cancer in their communities and how they will provide a positive, learning environment to help survivors meet their personal health and well-being goals during treatment and beyond.
Here's a video:
The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program is currently available in the following cities.
Ann Arbor, MI
Austin, TX
Basking Ridge, NJ
Boise, ID
Boston, MA
Burlington, NJ
Charlotte, NC
Dallas, TX
Des Moines, IA
Fairfield, OH
Fargo, ND
Franklin, MA
Lakeland, FL
Louisville, KY
Marysville, WA
Metuchen, NJ
Milwaukee, WI
Providence, RI
Rochester, NY
Seattle, WA
St. Louis, MO
Suncoast, FL (Clearwater/St. Petersburg)
Syracuse, NY
Tampa, FL
Each YMCA program looks a little different depending on the location. To give you an idea, here is a program description for the Austin, TX YMCA:
LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a 12 week small group program designed for adult cancer survivors who have become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment and/or disease. The program is offered without cost to the participants and YMCA membership is free to participants and their family for the full 12 weeks of the program.
The goal of the program is to help patients build muscle mass and muscle strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability. Additional goals include reducing the severity of therapy side effects, preventing unwanted weight changes, and improving energy levels and self esteem. A final goal is to assist participants in developing their own physical fitness program so they can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life.
Certified YMCA fitness instructors give personal individualized instruction to the participants. The instructors are trained in the elements of cancer, post rehab exercise and supportive cancer care.
Cool, right?
On a related note, I came across this article in Fitness Magazine this morning:
Healing Force: Kathryn Schmitz, PhD
By Lisa Haney
For cancer patients the medical advice about exercise used to be: Rest. Don't push yourself. Now, thanks to an international team of experts led by Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has issued guidelines strongly endorsing exercise for cancer patients and survivors and begun certifying specialized cancer exercise trainers. A pioneer who has been researching the benefits of strength training for breast cancer survivors for more than a decade, Schmitz, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says exercise improves quality of life and empowers women to reconnect with their bodies. "We're seeing physiological changes," she says, including improved strength and fitness, stronger bones, and decreased fatigue. Still, many oncologists are too focused on treating cancer to prescribe exercise. "The only way that cancer patients are going to get it is by demanding that their physicians give them access to it," Schmitz says. "The ACSM recommendations are a key first step in providing doctors with guidance and support."
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/real-plans/stay-fit/2011-champions-of-health-and-fitness/?page=6
