If you live in the Washington, D.C. area and are looking for an opportunity to get some exercise and meet other breast cancer survivors, I recently read about a free program called "Healing With Basketball." This program is sponsored by The George Washington University Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship. The program is the brainchild of psychotherapist and survivor Lynn Grodzki and certified personal trainer Andrew Weiss. After Grodzki had a bilateral mastectomy, she wanted an exercise to help rebuild her upper body strength. So she trained with Weiss and modified his "basketball boot camp" for breast cancer survivors. The program helps to build strength and endurance through basketball drills and other exercises. It also provides a "team" of survivors to share information and stories with in a supportive environment. You don't need a background in basketball to join. However, you do need permission from your doctor to participate to ensure that you are ready for physical activity. The clinics are held on Saturday afternoons at the GWU Mt. Vernon Campus. For more information, call (202) 994-3972, or check out their website.
