Life Changing Programs at the Y: LIVESTRONG
The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh is committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthy, happy life. For the past two years, the LIVESTRONG program offered at Ys across Greater Pittsburgh is giving cancer survivors a chance to regain and maintain strength while building a community of other survivors to lean on and connect to.
Throughout each session, the LIVESTRONG program gives those living with, through, and beyond cancer a chance to not just work out, but to build confidence through connections with peers and instructors.
Chris McFarlane, a member of the Baierl Family YMCA, participated in a spring cohort of the LIVESTRONG program. McFarlane became a member at the Y to keep herself active and build up her muscle. When told about LIVESTRONG by an instructor, she considered it– but 10 years out from her breast cancer diagnosis, she was skeptical; “I thought, is this going to be depressing? What is this going to do for me, actually?”
Her fears were swiftly proven wrong: “That’s what’s kept me here.”
The program is so much more than strength training. The cohort attended weekly sessions learning about different ways to integrate healthy living into everyday life, with guest speakers such as trained nutritionists, physical therapists, and counselors.
The instructors encourage every participant to discover their own strength, while recognizing that no two recovery journeys are the same. Each exercise is thoughtfully adapted to meet participants where they are, whether that means improving shoulder mobility, building leg strength, or focusing on balance and stability. At the Y, success isn't measured by doing the same workout as everyone else; it's measured by helping each individual regain confidence, build resilience, and take meaningful steps toward a healthier future.
Building community is one of the most important parts of the LIVESTRONG program, and Chris walked away with memories that will last forever. Not every day was easy, but if someone was having a bad day, the entire cohort was there to give them a shoulder to lean on: “Come here where you see a friendly face. We know what’s going on, we can help you.”
Having a group of people who understand even an ounce of your struggles is invaluable. Through programs like LIVESTRONG, the Y dedicates itself to make sure no one goes through their struggles alone, whether it be with the help of staff, other members, or guest speakers. At the YMCA, you always have someone to lean on.
“The best thing you can do for yourself is get away from your thoughts,” Chris recalls, looking back on her own struggles. LIVESTRONG offers a productive alternative for participants to take a break from their daily lives and dedicate themselves to building a healthy way of living.