How to Thrive When You Survive: The Importance of Exercise for our Physical + Emotional Wellbeing

My first thought was, I want to live. At age 23, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I was fresh out of college and ready to tackle life. Growing up an athlete, I led a healthy lifestyle and was completely sidelined. Going through this life hurdle at such a young age helped me to put life in perspective and changed the trajectory of my entire life.

I fell in love with mindful movement after my treatments. About one year after my stem cell transplant, a friend introduced me to Barre classes. My teachers helped me discover strength I didn’t know I had.

My mantra is Yes. You. Can. I believe that everyone has the ability to lead his or her best lives. We must be relentless in the pursuit. Cancer taught me that. I start all of my classes by saying “it’s a beautiful day to be alive.” Because, it simply is.

The research speaks to all the benefits of exercise. Through research, we know regular exercise strengthens muscles and bones, reduces the risk of cancer recurrence and improves sleep patterns. Exercise also helps people maintain a healthy weight, reduce fatigue, boost energy levels, improve mood and reduce anxiety. All winners in my book.

We lead lives full of goodness and it’s important to take tiny steps to reach our fitness goals. Time can feel limited. If you have an open pocket of 5-15 minutes, try to shift your mind directly to movement. This could be simple stretches, a quick walk or core exercises. Core exercises help to improve our posture and move through our day with more ease.

When the pandemic hit last year, I knew I wanted to create a dynamic online community -- including cancer thrivers. I offer my weekly virtual Pilates Fusion classes free for the cancer community. I feel so honored to hold space for my “Chi Chi Lifers”.

Exercise is a pillar of self-care. When we come together in community, we soak up the positive energy and motivate each other. Showing up wholeheartedly with consistency will guide you to a solid path. You will see and feel your progress. You will get stronger. You in?

----

Chi Chi Life Founder Lauren Chiarello Mika is a two-time cancer thriver + twin mama who leads corporate wellness workshops, weekly virtual Pilates Fusion classes and is a Cancer Exercise Trainer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

----

Are you part of the cancer community and interested in Lauren’s *free* virtual Pilates Fusion classes? Email Lauren lauren@chichilifenyc.com to get started.

Are you based in NYC? Join Lauren IRL for a *free* outdoor Pilates Fusion at Meatpacking Sweat Sessions on Tuesday 8/3 @ 6:30p. RSVP here.

If you are interested in participating in our Vented Uplift Community Blog as a guest writer, please reach out to Becca at becca.vented@gmail.com

And check out our website to see the beautiful jewelry with a purpose! #BuyoneGiftone

www.ventedinbrooklyn.com

Comments

Fitting, My First Was in an Irish Bar

Written by: Chrisie Canny So, for those of you who know me and the fact that I met my husband in a bar in Brooklyn, you may be assuming what Fitting, My First Was in an Irish Bar is all about. And I am here (this time only) to tell you to get your minds out of the gutter. This is not a blog about the first time I had a drink in a bar…ha.., did you think I would say sex? Well…anyway… this is about the first time I finally let someone read my chapter in the Anthology Magnificently Made and very fittingly it happened in an Irish Bar, the old Irish Pub in AC to be exact. It’s also a story about the fear of being a writer and putting something out into the world for everyone to pick at and scrutinize. Let me go back over a year ago when my now publishers Jess and Jenn started posting on social media about how they had a dream of bringing 33 women together to write an Anthology. 33 women to share their journeys to help lift other women. Sounded like my cup of tea just by the descr...

Top 8 Ways to Improve Your Immunity

Most of us know that good Nutrition is essential for supporting a strong immune system. Nutrition not only comes in what we put in our body, it is also connected to lifestyle and other factors: Here is just 8 things to keep in mind and to create in your everyday habits: Vitamin D - helps activate immune cells. We do need the sun to synthesis vitamin D. The sun converts cholesterol found under the skin to vitamin D. Vitamin D is known to ﬁght many cancers. For cancers like melanoma, the sun is not always an enemy. Your weakened immune system is your enemy, and your lifestyle has probably triggered your health problems. Low vitamin D has been linked to a weakened immune system, multiple sclerosis, jaundice, cancer, PMS, arthritis, under active thyroid, acute depression, dermatitis, osteoporosis and many other diseases and conditions. If you are unable to get enough sun, please consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, eggs, and mus...

New Year, New Me? Screw That! Let's Try These 6 Tips Instead!

Well, it’s January 12th…did you fail at your New Year's resolutions already and you feel like shit about yourself? Or is that just me for like the past 30 years of my life?? Except for this year…because at 3 in the morning, an hour after I went to sleep, I woke up with a thought…New Year, New Me is complete shit! I call these little moments of thought my download from God. It's the things that I need to hear and understand to become a better version of myself. And this thought was just what I needed to break those crazy ideas in my head that have been placed there by society, TV, and the perfect people on Instagram...oh and let's not forget the number one guilty party...me! So the thoughts continued in my head as I tossed from side to side. Who came up with this crazy notion that once we wake up on January 1st that we could be a new person??? Like WTF? (And no, I didn’t give up cursing for the new year.) First off, most of us will be slightly hungover or tired in the morn...

Lifted, By My Girls the Blog

Search This Blog