It is the the quality of life we want to increase
as our life expectancy increases.
Alice Saland became active in the corporate fitness industry in the early 80’s. Then a certified aerobic instructor, she visited Fortune 500 companies in New York City during her lunch breaks and after work, where she instructed group fitness programs. She was also the Director of The Aerobic Program at Bio-Fitness Institute in Midtown Manhattan. Alice has been featured as a Fitness Entrepreneur in US Magazine, and has been a contributing writer for McCall’s Magazine.
Saland, then the owner of her own corporate fitness company, noticed a lump in the right side of her neck, but her doctor dismissed Saland’s concerns.
I went home and tried to forget about it, she recalls.
Saland spent the next six months feeling fatigued and dropping weight rapidly. Finally, she consulted with a different doctor, who ran a battery of tests and discovered that Saland had thyroid cancer. The good news was that the disease was caught early — and was curable.
After her brush with thyroid cancer, Saland then decided to return to her first love, exercise, and devote her skills to helping women over 40 get in shape. She became a certified fitness trainer and began feeling better than ever.
In 1999, a routine mammogram revealed a suspicious lump in her left breast. Saland underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer. This second diagnosis of cancer sent Saland reeling.
I lost all my fitness clients, I was totally lost, she recalls. I had no family, no children. I just kept thinking, I’m alone.
Saland’s treatment consisted of a lumpectomy and 30 radiation sessions.
Saland’s oncologist referred her to a therapist who specialized in cancer recovery. Those sessions helped the fitness buff realize that she could parlay her expertise into helping other women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
Alice expresses her personal journey:
After my surgery for breast cancer, I sought out exercises to speed and assist my own recovery. I travelled around the world meeting, supporting, and inspiring breast cancer survivors.
My most difficult challenge became an opportunity for growth, change, and healing.
Alice treated it as an opportunity, and took her knowledge of physiology, kinesiology, and exercise science and combined it with her own personal recovery experience to produce a fitness video for other women recuperating from breast cancer surgery.
I suddenly felt like I had a purpose. I could give people hope.
Alicethenics is a series of exercises to help those recovering from breast cancer surgery. Created by a woman who has experienced the process firsthand — her message was let’s rebuild and heal together.
In 2000, Alice produced an exercise video for breast cancer survivors, Alicethenics: Exercises To Increase Freedom Of Movement After Breast Surgery, with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. They gave 20,000 videos to cancer treatment centers and oncologists throughout the United States as a premium item.
What problems can Alicethenics help?
Alicethenics can be helpful if you are experiencing any of the following due to your breast cancer surgery (such as lumpectomy, mastectomy, or lymph node surgery):
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Limited range of motion in your arms and/or shoulders
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Decreased flexibility
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Feelings of stiffness on that side of your body
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Feeling of numbness caused by decreased blood circulation and/or lymphatic flow
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Painful swelling in the arms or chest (i.e. lymphedema)
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Weakened immune system resulting in frequent illness
Does the program require any special equipment? For best results, you should have the following:
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Exercise mat
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Tall, sturdy chair or average-height kitchen or bathroom counter (to grasp during some of the exercises)
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Hand-held “grip strengthening” rubber exercise balls
How soon after breast surgery can I do these exercises?
Every case is different. You should always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program — especially after cancer treatment. You should definitely wait to start this exercise after breast cancer surgery until you are back home, all of your drainage tubes have been removed, and your physician has given you approval to resume light exercise.
Are the exercises in this program strenuous? No. These are very slow-paced, gentle exercises. This is not a cardiovascular workout.
Move Past Your Current Limitations
I can highly recommend this exercise video to any woman recovering from breast and axillary surgery. I believe women will gain great benefit both physically and spiritually from this video. Alice, you have performed a wonderful service.
– Dr. Cheryl Ewing
Surgical Oncologist
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561 214 0707
928 Nicole Place Unit
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
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