A few week’s ago the Free Form Fitness blog featured an article about the many benefits of vitamin C. In that article we presented very new research on the use of vitamin C as an alternative cancer therapy. Free Form Fitness is committed to providing our members with the latest information that will help them realize their full potential.
With that said, we recognize that we are not doctors, and our responsibility is to advise our members on diet, exercise and lifestyle choices, not on medical treatments. For those of you living with cancer or with friends & loved ones living with cancer, always check with your doctor and medical professionals before requesting alternative therapies.
As many of you know, October is breast cancer awareness month. We began the month with our amazing CIBC Run for the Cure and want to extend an additional thank you to everyone who supported our team this year. For those of you who continue to buy our special edition pink Free Form Fitness t-shirts, we appreciate your generosity towards our efforts to support our community and those affected by breast cancer.
We will continue to sell our pink shirts (while supplies last) and donate all proceeds to the CIBC Run for the Cure.
It is no secret that cancer is quickly becoming one of the most prevalent diseases in our society. Within our very own Free Form Fitness family we have members who are currently living with this disease. About a year ago we profiled Elianna Saidenberg, a doctor, mother, wife, and client of our Wellington Village location. Elianna had been working out at the Wellington Village gym for years, having worked with many trainers when in March of 2015 she was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. You can read the original profile here.
Fast forward to now and Dr. Saidenberg is an inspiration to the entire Free Form Fitness team. She has been training with Vania for the last 5 years and the two have worked together to modify her program as her health status has changed. When asked about how Vania approached her training program, Vania had this to say:
“When Elianna was initially diagnosed in 2015, she took about 6 months off. I believe she had 2 major surgeries during this time off. Once she came back, we kept things simple and focused on getting her moving again. We worked on rebuilding her core strength as both surgeries involved going through her abdominal wall. Since we had already been training together for so long, there wasn’t as much instructing to do on my part. It was more gauging what her energy levels were like that day and adjusting from there. We were able to get her strength levels pretty close to where she was at prior to her cancer diagnosis when she began her first round of chemo.
During chemo, we tried to maintain her strength as much as possible. I had to be flexible, depending on how she felt. I’d change an exercise if she was feeling too sore in a particular area. I also wasn’t afraid to push her a little bit if I saw that she had good energy on a particular day. Elianna also had a great understanding of her own limitations, so she was able to tell me whether she could lift a heavier weight or ease back.
Having an established relationship made things easier on my part because I knew which exercises she was good at and which ones she liked. I was able to alter the plan a little easier that way. “
At Free Form Fitness, we may not have all of the answers and we certainly cannot cure cancer. What Elianna’s story shows us is that personal training at FFF is more than just your typical personal training experience. FFF is a place where anyone, from any health background can join a community where the trainers care about your health. Cancer is no exception to this.
During chemo, we tried to maintain her strength as much as possible. I had to be flexible, depending on how she felt. I’d change an exercise if she was feeling too sore in a particular area. I also wasn’t afraid to push her a little bit if I saw that she had good energy on a particular day. Elianna also had a great understanding of her own limitations, so she was able to tell me whether she could lift a heavier weight or ease back.
Having an established relationship made things easier on my part because I knew which exercises she was good at and which ones she liked. I was able to alter the plan a little easier that way. “
At Free Form Fitness, we may not have all of the answers and we certainly cannot cure cancer. What Elianna’s story shows us is that personal training at FFF is more than just your typical personal training experience. FFF is a place where anyone, from any health background can join a community where the trainers care about your health. Cancer is no exception to this.
