What content informed this program?
Our ongoing dialogue with cancer survivors through our surveys and research led us to discover that a top concern among survivors was the difficulty of returning to physical activity after treatment. In response, LIVESTRONG partnered with the YMCA of the USA in 2007 to create LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, a 12-week physical activity program designed to get survivors back on their feet.
Who benefits from LIVESTRONG at the YMCA?
Survivors participate in free or low cost customized exercise regimens catered to their individual needs from certified fitness instructors. The instructors are trained in cancer survivorship, post-rehabilitation exercise and supportive cancer care. Survivors and often their families receive a membership at the YMCA for the duration of the program.
Future direction
We recently worked with researchers from Yale University and Dana Farber Cancer Institute to conduct a research study on the impact of the program on participants’ cancer-related outcomes. We found that participants experienced significant increases in physical activity, overall quality of life and fitness performance as well as decreases in cancer-related fatigue. By the end of 2018, we will offer the program in 19-25 new YMCA associations.