Part 3

Thriving After Breast Cancer: Essential Healing Exercises for Body and Mind
by Sherry Lebed Davis, Stephanie Gunning

(Page 3 of 3)

PREPARING YOUR ENVIRONMENT You will need enough room to spread out your arms in every direction (plus a foot or two more for good measure). For most women this is approximately a six-foot-by-six-foot area. You should remove any obstacles within this space that you could accidentally hit or collide with while you are practicing your routines. Double check by turning in a slow circle.

You may also need to eliminate distractions. Turn off the telephone and shut the door to the room, if that helps. Ask your family to respect the time you have allotted for stretching and moving. This should be "you" time, so program a half hour into your schedule.

SUPPLIES Whenever you need a special item for an exercise, I clearly list it. Here are some of the items you may wish to have handy:

CHAIR: Depending on which exercise routine you are doing, you may need a supporting chair for balance. Seated exercises are also included in some of the workouts. A kitchen-type chair without arms is preferred.

ELASTIC WORKOUT BAND: See "Building Strength" (p. 176) for comprehensive details.

WATER: It is beneficial to drink water frequently during and after your workouts.

TOWEL: You may want this for your comfort when you perspire.

SOAP BUBBLES: These are optional in Basics 1 (p. 15).

MUSICAL SELECTIONS Music is an important component of the Focus on Healing program. For one thing, music will elevate your spirits. But being able to follow a rhythm also supports the movements.

For the Basic Warm-up, which prepares you to do every routine in the Focus on Healing program, it would be helpful to pick something slow and flowing, such as classical music or ballads. For the rest of your workout, choose something with a faster tempo. Music that has four main beats works best. Let it be music that makes you want to dance - whatever gets your toes and fingers tapping, head bobbing, or hips swinging. Varying your musical selections from time to time will help keep the program fresh.

The survivors and instructors from Focus on Healing classes throughout North America have given me a list of their favorite CDs and performers. Often they prepare their own song mixes for the program on a cassette tape or CD. These suggestions may guide you in your own selections.

SLOW MUSIC

• The Best of Doo Wop (Rhino)
• Michael Bolton, Love Songs
• Sarah Brightman, Time to Say Goodbye
• Down in the Delta (movie soundtrack)
• Fall (Telarc)
• Kenny G, Classics in the Key of G
• Herbie Hancock, Gershwin's World
• Frank Sinatra, Swinging Around the World
• Spring (Telarc)
• Barbra Streisand, Barbra Back to Broadway
• Summer (Telarc)
• Vangelis, Escapes
• Where the Heart Is (movie soundtrack)
• Winter (Telarc)
• Zamfir, Intemporal

FAST MUSIC

• Abba, More Abba Gold
• Lou Bega, Little Bit of Mambo
• Ray Charles, Visionary Soul
• The Conga Kings (Chesky Jazz)
• Dance with Me (movie soundtrack)
• Gloria Estefan, Gloria
• Fleetwood Mac, Greatest Hits
• Aretha Franklin, Love Songs
• "I Feel Pretty" (West Side Story cast recording)
• Tom Jones, The Complete Tom Jones
• Jennifer Lopez, On the 6
• Ricki Martin, Livin La Vida Loca
• Ricki Martin, Sound Loaded
• Mary Mary, Thankful
• Dolly Parton, Nine to Five and Odd Jobs
• Santana, Supernatural
• Saturday Night Fever (movie soundtrack)
• Donna Summers, Alive and More
• Swing (cast recording)
• Manhattan Transfer, The Swing
• VH-1 Divas Live '99 (BMG/Arista)

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORKOUT Now you are ready to begin the Focus on Healing exercises. Start with the Basic Warm-up in the next section. The Basic Warm-up is the first thing you should do every time you exercise, whether you are still in treatment or a long-term survivor. It gently establishes your breathing pattern and increases your circulation.

Then choose a full-length workout program that fits your special needs from Part Two, "Adjusting to the Needs of Your New Body," or do the full-length program from Part Three, "The Ultimate Movements." It's a good idea to stick with the same program for as many days or weeks as it takes to perform it successfully. Above each of the programs there is detailed information to help you determine when that program is suitable for you and what you need to keep in mind as you do it.

Copyright © 2002 by Sherry Lebed Davis with Stephanie Gunning.

About the Author

Sherry Lebed Davis became a professional dancer at the age of fifteen. She now devotes her time to spreading the word about "Focus on Healing," lecturing and leading classes at hospitals around the country. Her work has garnered wide media attention, including "Weekend Today" and People magazine. She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington.