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Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 36F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..
Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 36F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: April 16, 2022 @ 8:46 pm
YMCA Wellness Coordinator Christy Mayfield, left, takes notes during a Livestrong at the YMCA class. The program helps cancer patients and survivors regain strength and mobility.
YMCA Wellness Coordinator Christy Mayfield, left, takes notes during a Livestrong at the YMCA class. The program helps cancer patients and survivors regain strength and mobility.
One step inside the St. Joseph YMCA and many gym-goers can be seen pedaling on stationary bikes or lifting dumbbells. But what’s not easy to spot is everyone’s reason for exercising.
In 2015, Cindy Keling was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer. Fast forward to 2022, and she’s working out multiple times a week and surrounding herself with other cancer survivors and patients as part of the St. Joseph YMCA’s inaugural Livestrong at the YMCA program.
“I just want to get in better shape, and I feel like this is a much more supportive environment for that than if I had just walked in somewhere,” Keling said. “It’ll be something I can stick with.”
Livestrong at the YMCA is a national program that helps cancer survivors and patients regain strength and mobility during or after treatment. St. Joseph YMCA Wellness Coordinator Christy Mayfield said about 75% of the participants in St. Joseph’s inaugural class still are receiving treatment.
“We try to help them get a little stronger, get a little better, see if they can get back to their normal lives,” Mayfield said.
The program starts with an assessment to see where each participant is physically. Mayfield said they talk about injuries or surgeries they might be recovering from, and then an individual workout program is created to help participants get stronger while also working around any issues they may be experiencing.
Keling has undergone treatment in the past but doesn’t need it currently. She said her program begins with cardio and then she learns exercises and stretches to help build her core. She said her workout plan is difficult enough to be challenging but she’s still excited to come back each day.
“I think whenever you go through chemo and all this stuff, it does make you weak, and sometimes it’s kind of overwhelming,” Keling said. “This is kind of building (me) back to, hopefully, better than where I started.”
The program also tries to help with the participant’s mental state. The first half-hour of each session is dedicated to discussion among the group members, allowing them to hear each other’s stories and realize that while their battles may be different, they aren’t alone in their journey. Keling said it’s been good for her to be around people with similar experiences.
“I see these people and they all just have a spark that they just want to do better and be better,” Keling said. “That’s what I like about being around them.”
Guest speakers also are brought in occasionally to speak on topics like stress management, nutrition and regaining normalcy. Keling said connecting with others through the program has given her newfound confidence.
“Physically, I’d just like to get myself in a better place, and I think mentally — and I can feel this more — I’m already more confident,” Keling said. “I feel like there’s more out there.”
Anyone who would like to participate in the Livestrong at the YMCA program can sign up for the next session, which will begin in the summer. The program lasts 12 weeks and meets twice a week for 1.5-hour sessions. The program is free, and participants receive free memberships to the YMCA for themselves and their families for the duration of the program. Mayfield said those interested can apply at the St. Joseph Family Campus YMCA.
“There’s not anybody who hasn’t been touched by (cancer),” Mayfield said. “Everybody you know has someone in their lives who is either going through this or has been through this in their past, and it’s an emotional issue. To be able to give them some help, some hope, some chance of regaining that normalcy, is important.”
Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com
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