JoAnn Hill said she did nothing but sit while she underwent treatment for her colon cancer. After she thought she had beat it, she decided it was time to get active again and found the YMCA’s Livestrong program. Not only is she gaining strength but she has found a group of people who understand her journey.
Longmont’s Livestrong program began in 2012 and has worked with 17 groups of people in various phases of battling cancer. The program is offered for free through the YMCA twice a year, said Maryam Motahari, organizer and trainer.
The program lasts 12 weeks and utilizes easy exercises that provide a safe environment for people to “get back on their feet and experience their new normal,” Motahari said.
“My goal is that they can walk into any fitness facility and feel confident that they can try to do whatever they want,” Motahari said.
Motahari spends over an hour with each applicant prior to the class going over their medical history. It is important to her that each participant understand their new level of exercise fitness as cancer has changed their bodies in some way.
The trainers in the group are specially trained to watch out for complications — such as lymphedema — that can be caused by exercising too much or too hard, she said. The trainers also modify all exercises to fit the individual’s needs despite areas of the body that may be recovering.
Motahari said it takes a few weeks but usually all the participants begin to build confidence in themselves and their ability to exercise again.
“... to establish that for themselves. No one is telling them what they should or shouldn’t be able to do, but they are finding out week after week what they can do,” Motahari said.
Each class begins with a group session in which all members are asked to ponder a question. The group forms a bond by sharing their stories and providing empathy to each other’s cancer journey.
While joining an exercise group can seem like a serious endeavor, Motahari said the Livestrong groups in Longmont do a lot of laughing, which takes away some of the stress they are going through. She crafts each group’s fitness journey based on the wants expressed within the group. She has found that dancing and swimming allow people to open up and be themselves and enjoy the exercises. She has even brought in boxing instructors at the class’s request.
“I think what it gives people is the satisfaction of knowing that they — twice a week — are coming and taking a recognizable positive step toward overcoming this struggle,” Motahari said.
