Women Moving In Solidarity Towards A Cancer-free Future
Mother's Day is a day to reflect on our love for Mom and to recognize that nothing
else contributes to our own strengths, confidence and ability to love then having been loved deeply and unconditionally by our Mothers. Mothers Day is also a day of activism among mothers and anyone and everyone who cares about the well-being of mothers, could-be mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and friends touched by cancer. Mothers Day has become a time to get out and get moving in solidarity, in memory of loved one's and in an effort to raise the funds that will enable us to defeat cancer. With Mothers Day Walks/Runs Against Cancer and in support of a cure, individuals, teams, organizations and communities everywhere are using the day to advocate for the well-being of Mothers. In the words of one Revlon Run/Walk participant, "...the question is, Why do I walk? I walk in the hope that some day a cure will be found, a cure that would rid us all of this dreadful disease called cancer, and in the hope that one day someones Mom, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Grandma, Niece, Cousin, and/or Friend will be saved!"
Eleven years ago, my sister was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I traveled to NYC the weekend of Mother's Day to join her team in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women, a premier event to raise money for the fight against women's cancer. I began this race with a heavy heart as this was my second sister to be diagnosed with cancer. It was quite an emotional event for me to see so many thousands of participants with a common mission - to support a mother, sister, Aunt or just a friend in the battle against women's cancer. It was a powerful and emotional experience, one that opened my eyes to the empowering and inspiring roles these events play in our collective experiences with cancer. My sister is now a survivor, but she and her team continue to participate and raise funds each and every year through the Revlon Run/Walk for Women. Though I entered the race with a heavy heart, I finished the race with renewed hope, optimism, and feeling deeply connected to the sea of other participants around me, all of whom, like me, had known the shadow of cancer.
"With one in three women predicted to develop cancer in her lifetime, everyone has felt the effect of womens cancers. Now its time for womens cancers to feel the effect of us our determination, our strength, our optimism, our refusal to surrender." (Revlon Run/Walk website quote)
The above quote comes from Revlon Run/Walk's website. I highlight it here because I think it articulates what the many run/walk events, by many names, in many cities across the globe have in common. They all provide a valuable opportunity for us to put our collective emotions into motion in an unstoppable effort to stand up to cancer.
Exercise and physical activities have always been a central part of who I am and what I do. From running, to golf, biking, tennis, and walking the dogs, I have always derived a lot of pleasure from sports and an active lifestyle. But I learned another valuable lesson at the Revlon Run/Walk event - you don't need to be a woman or an athlete to participate and to benefit from events that create collective motion in emotional solidarity with others. Simply moving along in a sea of solidarity with others who know your pain is an incredibly healing experience, one that I recommend to everyone.
While it's the feelings of solidarity, support and hope that I find to be the greatest aspects of such events, especially when associated with such meaningful days as Mother's Day, I can think of no better opportunity or reason to incorporate a little exercise into our lives. Everyone stands to benefit in some way - from the cancer patient, to the cancer survivor, to those lucky few still untouched by cancer who want to do everything they can to develop a lifestyle that minimizes their chances of developing cancer.
Once upon a time, the medical advice for people struggling with illness, recovering from surgeries or even childbirth was rest and more rest. Not anymore! Newer research is showing that exercise is not only safe and possible during cancer treatment, but it can improve physical functioning and quality of life. According to the American Cancer Society, too much rest may result in loss of function, strength, and range of motion in the person with a chronic illness. As a result, many cancer care teams are now urging their patients to be as physically active as possible during cancer treatment. The benefits of exercise are physical, emotional, and continue during, and even after treatment. These benefits include improved circulation, reduced risk of blood clots, greater muscle strength, healthier body weight, reduced nausea and fatigue, reduced risk of osteoporosis, improved cardiovascular health, increased appetite and interest in food, and overall improved physical function and balance. Cancer treatment is as emotionally challenging as it is physically.
Even the most moderate exercise program can bring about better self confidence, improved quality of life, a sense of empowerment, improved mental attitude, reduced risk of anxiety or depression, and improved relationships and social interactions.
Exercise is not easy to incorporate into most of our lives and so the idea of becoming more active as we face cancer is potentially overwhelming but need not be so. Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all plan for increasing physical activity as we will each begin from our own individual place. Each person's exercise program should be based on what is safe, effective, and enjoyable for that person. For some of us, our specific conditions warrant discussing our aspirations for physical activity with our doctors before we get moving. "Getting moving" can mean anything from short daily walks, to gentle yoga or stretching routines, to higher-paced activities like biking, jogging, or weight-training. The physical goal is to counteract the negative effects of inactivity. As many of us know all too well, the psychological effects of cancer treatment can sometimes prove to be as damaging as the physiological ones. The role of exercise in reducing and managing those psychological effects may be as or more important than the physical benefits as far as enhancing cancer patients' quality of life. Some of those benefits are stress reduction, relaxation, improved sleep, enhanced feelings of independence and self confidence, refocusing energies from illness to wellness, mood elevation, and reduced fatigue.
Create the environment that makes you feel good and that makes you want to move. Again, what that environment is varies according to who we are and where we are starting. If you are overwhelmed with the idea of exercising or incorporating new physical activities into your life, consider asking family members or friends to join you and to help motivate you. Participating in a cancer awareness event with friends or family members may be just what you need to convert exercise into your greatest source of fun, stress relief, hope, healing and a sense of solidarity and empowerment.
by: 4Women
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