Tuesday, April 30, 2024
LIVING STRONG: Linda Dixon, left, and Margaret Lewis completed the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program last summer. They received their completion certificate and had their celebration party on Aug. 26, 2021.
A 12-week program specially designed for cancer survivors is returning to the Hood County YMCA at 9 a.m., starting Tuesday, Feb. 1.
The Y and LIVESTRONG Foundation joined together to create LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, a small-group cancer survivorship program for those who are living with, through or beyond cancer.
Participants work with the YMCA staff — who are specially trained in supportive cancer care — to safely achieve their goals such as building muscle and strength, increasing flexibility and endurance, and improving confidence and self-esteem.
“We teach them how to use the weight machines out in the training area,” said Tracy Waddell, the fitness instructor for the program. “We'll also do some sessions on nutritional counseling. We’ll do some sessions with yoga so that you learn how to de-stress and do stretching. We've done Tai Chi before. We've done meditation, Zumba, line dance. We let them look at the schedule and the classes that they're interested in, and then we try to get the instructor to come in and do a little mini session for them so they can see if they like it and see if they can do it without being overwhelmed by other people in the class. We've never had anybody that was interested in doing the water classes, but we could do a little demo water class if anybody was thinking about doing water classes of any kind.”
Waddell said participants in the class have used the big rubber balls to work on balance, as well as the elliptical, recumbent bike and treadmill to work on cardio training.
“There's a lot of different options, but the whole thing is focused around cardiovascular training as well as weight training to try to get your body back strong again after what all you've been through with treatments,” Waddell said.
This research-based physical activity and well-being program focuses on the whole person and not the disease. LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is helping adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and helping them move beyond cancer in spirit, mind and body.
“It's more of a support group,” Waddell said. “People that have been through cancer, they feel so alone and isolated, and you find out ‘Oh my gosh. These people have been through what I've been through and theirs sounds even worse.’ You get to the point to where you can develop these friendships and this camaraderie. Everybody's talking and they're able to bounce ideas off of each other and just find a really good support system. I was really impressed at how close some of the girls that I was teaching last time got to each other by the end of the program; that's one of my favorite parts of that.”
The program starts on Tuesday, Feb. 1, with an hour-and-a-half session beginning at 9 a.m. There will be two sessions a week — Tuesday and Thursday.
Waddell said if other times are needed and enough interest is shown, then an afternoon or evening class could be added as well.
The program is free and open to all cancer survivors and their caregivers.
“It doesn't matter if they've just finished treatment or if they had cancer 10 years ago. It's open to anyone that is a cancer survivor,” Waddell added.
After completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate and a graduation celebration.
To sign up for the program, participants will need to grab a paperwork packet at the Hood County YMCA, located at 1475 James Road, and have their doctor fill out their patient release form.
“That’s the biggest hang up is that they have to get the signature sign-off from their doctor before we can begin classes,” Waddell added.
For more information, call Waddell at (817) 408-0559.
"(Cancer) is a hard thing to go through, and you kind of just feel like you're the only one that's ever gone through it,” Waddell added. “It's just really good to hear everybody's stories and everybody is just so open and loving. It's been a great environment.”
