LIVESTRONG at the YMCA

The MetroWest YMCA is honored to have been chosen to collaborate with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the YMCA of the USA.  As a result, we will be able to offer LiveStrong at the YMCA, a physical activity and well-being initiative for cancer survivors. To date, approximately 6,000 cancer survivors have participated in this program nationwide.  We are excited to provide this program to cancer survivors in the MetroWest community. 

More than 12 million cancer survivors live in the United States, and 3 out of 4 families will help care for a family member with cancer. Recent medical   research has shown that exercise can counteract the often debilitating side effects of cancer treatment.  When cancer survivors participate in moderate levels of physical activity, fatigue is reduced, physical strength is increased and quality of life is significantly improved.  Unfortunately, many cancer survivors do not engage in any activity during and after treatment because they don’t know where to go for the special kind of program they need. 

The MetroWest YMCA will offer LiveStrong at the YMCA at our Framingham branch beginning early 2012. This free, 12 week program   for small groups of between 6 and 12 participants will be led by our staff who have been specially trained in the physical and emotional needs of cancer survivors.

When a cancer survivor walks through our doors, they will become a part of the YMCA family. Livestrong at the YMCA will engage cancer survivors by focusing on the whole person and will provide a supportive, community environment where people affected by cancer can connect during treatment and beyond.

 For more information about LiveStrong at the YMCA, please contact Lisa Mandozzi at (508) 879-4420 ext 45.

Upcoming sessions:

Beggining in June:  Mon/Wed from 1:45-3:00pm

What is LIVESTRONG at the YMCA?           

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a twelve 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.

 Our goal 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 of the program 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.

 Research is now showing that physical activity can decrease recurrence and increase survivorship for cancer patients.  

Certified YMCA fitness instructors give personal individualized instruction to the participants. The instructors are trained in the elements of cancer, post rehab exercise, nutrition, and supportive cancer care.

Why is LIVESTRONG at the YMCA Important?

This program fulfills the important need of the increasing number of cancer survivors who find themselves in the transitional period between completing their cancer treatment and the shift to feeling physically and emotionally strong enough to attempt to return to their normal life. The fact that the program is outside a medical facility and integrated into the community serves to emphasize that LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is about health, not about disease. The positive and enthusiastic feedback that we receive from individuals who have gone through the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA convinces us that this is a significant community program that fills an important, and previously unaddressed, need of cancer patients and survivors.