BEAUTIFUL YOU: BREAST & FEMALE CANCER EXERCISE & SUPPORT GROUP
The Women’s 5K was able to interview Dona Obal, Coordinator for the Beautiful You! Program, run out of the Allentown YMCA. She shares with our community the overwhelming benefits of the grant support from the W5K and how this critical support group shapes the recovery of hundreds of women diagnosed with and recovering from breast and other female cancers.
W5K: What does the BEAUTIFUL YOU program entail; what does it support?
Dona Obal: BEAUTIFUL YOU is a program for women recovering from breast and other female cancer. The BEAUTIFUL YOU program provides a free facility membership to the Greater Valley YMCA, Allentown Branch. The membership includes weekly support group meetings, aerobics and yoga classes, wellness center, walking track, aqua aerobics and swimming laps in our heated salt water pool intended to provide emotional and physical health. BEAUTIFUL YOU is ongoing so women may enter the program post-operative and return to as needed over a period of years.
The BEAUTIFUL YOU program, which has been in existence for over 20 years, provides the much needed support to help women recover from cancer and return to a normal productive life. This program is funded by the Women’s 5K Classic.
A woman may enter the program after diagnosis or whenever she feels ready to start. We advise participants to obtain a physician’s approval prior to exercising.
Support group meetings are held every week, which provides participants an opportunity to become acquainted and share their common experiences. Through BEAUTIFUL YOU, you will receive up-to-date information about breast and female cancer and discuss concerns you may have. Periodically, a doctor/health professional/guest speaker is invited to talk to the group.
Exercise is part of the program designed to help tone and regain range of motion. When participants feel stronger, they are mainstreamed into our fitness center as well as our aqua classes, low impact aerobics, and yoga classes. Water therapy in the pool is one of the quickest ways to regain flexibility and strengthen muscles. Participants are not required to know how to swim.
W5K: How many years has the W5K funded this program?
DO: The Women’s 5K has funded the BEAUTIFUL YOU program for 20 years.
W5K: How many women are impacted by this program?
DO: We estimate impacting over 1,000 women through support group meetings, educational seminars, facility memberships, fitness classes and community events, including our Annual Promise of Spring fundraiser.
W5K: What are some of the take-a-ways that you have observed from this program?
DO: This great group of women support and encourage each other. They share their personal stories at support group meetings where they realize they are not alone in their battle. As one of our participants said, “The BEAUTIFUL YOU program has helped me connect with other women who have been through the same journey as myself and understand all the struggles associated with a diagnosis of breast cancer.”
“This group is not just a group of women. It’s a family of friends who help and hold you up. I feel love, healing, comfort and friendship. The YMCA has become my favorite place to be.”