Recovering from breast cancer is a deeply personal journey, and finding the right path to regain strength and wellness can feel overwhelming. At your Chagrin Falls spa, ReSet Lounge, we understand the importance of nurturing both your body and your spirit as you heal. One powerful way to restore your strength, flexibility, and confidence is through Pilates. This gentle, low-impact exercise offers a supportive, mindful approach to rebuilding your body after treatment. You don’t have to walk this journey alone—we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Why Pilates is the Ideal Choice
Pilates offers a holistic approach to recovery that focuses on the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Rather than simply strengthening muscles, Pilates encourages mindful movement and breathwork, which is key to tuning into your body’s needs. This helps foster both physical healing and emotional well-being, particularly during recovery.
For those recovering from breast cancer treatment, Pilates provides a low-impact, gentle way to regain strength and mobility. Its focus on core strength, muscle balance, and proper alignment makes it an ideal choice for rebuilding the body without overstraining it. Research shows that breast cancer survivors practicing Pilates experience greater improvements in flexibility, strength, and overall function compared to those doing home exercises, proving its value as a guided recovery method.
Pilates and Breast Cancer Recovery
Surgery can lead to scar tissue, tightness, and limited range of motion, particularly around the surgical site. Pilates is uniquely suited to address these issues, helping to improve flexibility and increase mobility while gently strengthening the body. With regular practice, Pilates can have a truly transformative impact on both physical and mental recovery.
As highlighted in Women’s Health, “Pilates exercises help develop muscular flexibility and strength while increasing metabolism and promoting lymphatic, respiratory, and circulatory function.” This holistic support for overall body function makes Pilates particularly beneficial for breast cancer survivors, helping to target areas weakened by surgery and treatment.
At Revive Pilates at ReSet Lounge, we focus on creating a safe, supportive environment tailored to your recovery needs. Our expert instructors and complementary wellness services work hand in hand with Pilates to accelerate healing and help you regain confidence in your body and movement.
Tammy’s Journey: Rebuilding After Cancer
At ReSet Lounge, we’re always inspired by our clients' strength and resilience. When we began working on this article about breast cancer and how Pilates supports recovery, our wonderful client Tammy graciously shared her powerful story and experience with us:
“As we recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I feel compelled to share my journey and the incredible impact that Annalice and Revive Pilates have had on my recovery, alongside the invaluable support from ReSet Lounge and their complementary modalities that worked hand in hand with my daily Pilates practice.
After enduring six surgeries and several years of chemotherapy, I found myself struggling to lift my right arm, lacking core strength, and facing debilitating fatigue. However, through the dedicated guidance and support of Annalice, I have regained my strength and achieved a level of fitness I never thought possible. Pilates has strengthened me physically and mentally, increased my energy, and helped me manage the pain of recovery through its low-impact approach. While the diagnosis was earth-shattering, reclaiming my body and healing through Pilates has been truly transformative.
I am thrilled to share that I recently completed the Muddy Princess 5K obstacle course, standing alongside fellow warriors to support others in this fight. I can confidently say that I am now stronger than ever in the best shape of my life.
I hope my story inspires others facing similar challenges and shows how Pilates can be a great addition to your life. Let’s continue to uplift and motivate one another this month and beyond. I hope to see you at a Revive Pilates class at ReSet Lounge soon!”
Kelly’s Journey: Finding Strength Amidst the Battle
Following Tammy's story, we're honored to share Kelly’s, who is bravely facing stage 4 breast cancer. Despite the challenges of multiple surgeries, treatments, and a recurrence, Kelly has found strength and solace in Pilates. Her journey is a testament to the power of movement in healing, both physically and emotionally. Here, Kelly shares how Pilates has helped her navigate this difficult chapter in her life:
“October is a beautiful time in Northeast Ohio. Cooler temps, trees changing to a beautiful hue of colors—red, brown, orange, green. Blue skies. But for those of us with breast cancer—pink is the color in October.
I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in 2018 at the age of 57 through an annual mammogram. No symptoms, no lumps, no family history. Within days, I had a deluge of appointments, one after another. Ultrasounds, biopsy, MRI, CT, and PET scans. Meetings appeared on MyChart with a breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, social worker, and the list goes on. I didn’t have time for this as I was working full time as a Technology Director and a Senior Vice President at a large Financial bank, and more importantly—I had a family—husband, children, and elderly parents that we were taking care of.
I learned quickly that I had to make time for it and the decisions that followed. Lumpectomy or mastectomy (one breast or both)? Reconstruction or flat? I decided to be aggressive with my decisions as I didn’t want to be in this situation again a second time with a recurrence. I opted for a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, four rounds of chemotherapy (along with loss of hair), and a full hysterectomy.
Within six months, I was back to work full-time and taking a daily hormone blocker (Aromatase Inhibitor) to minimize a recurrence in the future. Hormone blockers strip all estrogen from your body (well, that’s the intent to keep estrogen-positive breast cancer from spreading further), and very quickly, I felt like I aged ten years and found myself each morning curled permanently in a fetal position.
Pilates changed all of that. I started classes at a local club using a balanced body reformer. Immediately, I was standing straighter, felt taller, and in touch and control of my body. It was amazing how different I felt after just a few classes. My instructors worked with me to ensure I could handle the moves and how to adapt them when needed.
Three years later, I started to experience extreme back pain—my oncologist quickly diagnosed that my breast cancer had spread and metastasized to my spine, and my life stopped again (along with Pilates). Multiple cancerous lesions were found throughout my spine after a quick round of X-rays, MRI, CT, and PET scans, along with a biopsy—the results confirmed the worst.
Enter recurrence two at age 60—diagnosed as stage 4 with no cure. Three weeks of non-stop radiation quickly followed. Limited medication treatments exist for stage 4 breast cancer. I was placed on three different medications with the intent to provide some measure of quality of life and slow the progression. I will have to take the meds forever as long as they work to keep the cancer stable and not spreading. It took one full year for the medications to stop the growth and spread, and I’ve been stable since then.
Side effects are tough from the medications (extreme fatigue, nausea, achy joints, mouth sores). The good news is that I’m still here. The bad news is that my life is very different—much slower—and finding things I can do to fill my time is critical. Spending quality time with my family, reading, knitting, and Pilates now fill my days. So enter Pilates round number 2 at Revive. My friend recommended Annalice and her classes. I restarted Pilates (one or two classes a week based on how I’m feeling), and it quickly made a difference. Pilates has been a lifesaver in giving me back my body, from which cancer took so much.
So, if I can leave you with two thoughts:
First—annual mammograms are a must. Don’t put them off.
And secondly—Make your body a priority. It's the only one you have. Pilates is a great way to regain control both physically and mentally—in a low-impact, easy-movements kind of way. Pilates for life!"
Your Journey to Healing at ReSet Lounge
Pilates is a powerful tool for recovery, especially for breast cancer survivors seeking to restore strength, flexibility, and confidence. By connecting breath with movement and fostering a deep mind-body connection, Pilates helps you heal both physically and mentally. At ReSet Lounge, we’re here to support you on this journey, offering not just expert Pilates instruction but also a range of holistic wellness services designed to accelerate your recovery.
In addition to Pilates, our massage and compression chairs provide soothing relief for tired muscles, while NuCalm promotes deep relaxation and stress reduction. Our other holistic services are tailored to help you find balance and enhance your overall well-being. Whether you’re looking to regain strength, relieve pain, or simply reconnect with your body, ReSet Lounge offers a nurturing, supportive environment to guide you every step of the way.
Your health and wellness are our top priorities. We invite you to explore all the ways ReSet Lounge can help you feel stronger, more energized, and more at peace.
