The New Canaan YMCA is proud to announce that with the completion of the spring LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program, the Y has served over 225 cancer survivors in our community to date.
The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program is a free, 12-week research-based program designed to help individuals reclaim their physical, emotional, and social well-being during or after cancer treatment. Thanks to donations to the New Canaan YMCA, this life-changing program is offered at no cost to any cancer survivor in the community. In order to foster the most supportive experience possible, participants’ family members are also provided with a free membership during the program so they can visit the Y as a family.
Since its launch in 2013, the program has welcomed participants with a wide range of cancer diagnoses, creating a supportive and meaningful community. LIVESTRONG at the YMCA strives to fill a vital need among the growing number of cancer survivors who find themselves navigating the transition between treatment completion and a new sense of “normal.”
Through the program, participants meet twice a week at the Y and work with specially certified Y personal trainers who tailor the program to their individual needs and track progress along the way. Participants build knowledge and confidence through learning about different exercises and equipment use, exploring group exercise classes, and creating routines and relationships that last beyond the program. In addition to the physical component, the program provides emotional support and a strong sense of camaraderie, serving as a meaningful peer support group.
“I love the fact that the New Canaan YMCA’s LIVESTRONG program offers so many exercise options to meet the needs of a wide variety of cancer survivors. Working with our excellent personal trainer and our small, supportive LIVESTRONG team made the program feel doable and fun,” shared a past participant.
They added, “By the end of the LIVESTRONG program, I had made notable strides on the road to overall health improvement. My energy level had increased. I felt stronger and more alert than I had in the past. I am grateful for the phenomenal LIVESTRONG program and the many benefits I have received from participating.”
At the end of June, the Y celebrated the graduation of its spring LIVESTRONG at the YMCA group, which supported seven cancer survivors in regaining their strength and confidence.
“LIVESTRONG has been transformational. The program is exceptionally well-thought-out and managed. It brings together a group of cancer survivors who have similar experiences to share, and each week, under the expert direction of a YMCA skilled trainer, we reclaimed our strength and motivation. With both cardio and strength training twice a week over twelve weeks, we worked together, supporting one another’s progress and experienced impressive results,” shared another recent participant.
The national LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program is available at over 790 YMCAs throughout the country and has helped more than 76,000 cancer survivors. The next session at the New Canaan YMCA will begin in September and is currently taking applications. To learn more about the Y’s LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program, contact Eva Saint, Wellness Director, at 203-920-1623 or [email protected]. The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program is made possible through donations. To support this program, donations can be made online at www.newcanaanymca.org/donate.