By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

“Let’s get the lighter weights,” said Tami Groothuis to her exercise partner Ruth Veenstra.

The two disappear into another room for a couple of minutes returning with blue hand weights and from there Groothuis starts leading the two through some arm strengthening exercises.

The exercises are what you would expect from an exercise class, bicep curls and tricep extensions. Except this isn’t a regular exercise class, but one designed specifically for adult cancer survivors.

 

The Livestrong program, offered by the Y, is an evidence-based physical activity and well-being program. During the 12-week program, participants spend 75 minutes twice a week on cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, balance and flexibility exercises under the guidance of YMCA-certified instructors.

For Groothuis, the program became just what she needed to help overcome her cancer diagnosis.

“I feel as if certain doors are open at certain times,” Groothuis and it was certainly the case when it came to discovering the Livestrong program. It was eight years ago, when Groothuis received her first diagnosis of breast cancer.

“I had felt something in my breast and thought that just doesn’t feel right,” she said. A registered nurse, Groothuis decided to get the suspicious lumps checked out and her suspicions were confirmed, they were cancer.

Even with the diagnosis, things were looking good since the cancer had been caught early and could be removed, which it was. But even before starting treatment, Groothuis knew that the surgery and the treatments were going to have an impact on the very active Groothuis who use to run with friends before work, teach a cycling class and had even competed in a few triathlons.

 

A longtime Y member — “I have friends at about every location,” she said with a laugh — Groothuis happened to pick up a brochure about the Livestrong program. She knew she had found an answer in how to keep active.

“It really helped me as I was going through treatment, said Groothuis, who was one of a few people who could participate in the program during her treatment process. Most participants join after their radiation and chemotherapy have been completed. Medical clearance from a physician is required and participants also receive fitness and quality of life assessments before they begin the program.

“Being with other people who were going through what I was going through and having instructors who understood our realities added a whole new and beautiful dimension to group exercise,” she said.

 

Groothuis found the program so rewarding that she decided to become a certified Livestrong instructor, which she accomplished in 2020.

 

“Coaching is a way for me to give back to other people while feeling productive,” Groothuis said. “”It really has become a pay-it-forward.”

 

It also has been an anchor in helping Groothuis face her second cancer diagnosis in 2020.

 

“We spend time talking about what we are facing and often, I’ll say lets walk and talk,” she said. “We do the exercises, sharing our stories and knowing that we are not alone.”

Groothuis was only able to teach a few classes before the COVID pandemic shut down the Ys in 2020. As places reopened, including all the Y facilities, the Livestrong program has been re-started at all the Ys. Groothuis said she hopes others who are on the cancer journey will take advantage of the opportunity to lift weights, both mental and physical.

“I know I was afraid that I wouldn’t feel like doing anything after treatment,” Groothuis said. “It was thrilling to be able to engage with people while doing something to improve my health.”

To learn more about the Livestrong program, click here.