“Working out has many benefits and when battling a terminal illness or other disease the benefits become even greater!”
Taylor’s Story
I am an independent Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor for my business, TayFit. I am certified by the International Sports Sciences Association. I am going into my last semester at the University of La Verne studying Kinesiology and competing in Pole Vault. I started out working in a box gym, but quickly found that I could bring lower prices, more interpersonal relationships and longer sessions to my clients outside of the gym. I love my job because I am able to build long-lasting friendships with all types of people; all while helping people reach their fitness and health goals. My number one priority above everything is health, and it is something that I stress with all of my training.
Exercising with Sickness
Working out has many benefits and when battling a terminal illness or other disease the benefits become even greater! A huge benefit of exercise is strengthening and enhancing the immune system. This is just another warrior on your side when fighting any terminal illness or disease! I am not telling you to be a body builder if that is what you are thinking. Exercise can mean anything! You want to do squats holding a household item as a weight, or even go for a brisk walk outside, or you can do lunges when you are making your lunch. Has anyone heard of triceps dips on your coffee table while watching your favorite show? All of these among other ideas are absolutely perfect. Exercise is exercise! It all reaps the same core benefit- increasing your overall health! CANCER CAN’T CATCH ME, or any other disease for that matter!
Exercising with Low Energy Levels
Treatments can be physically draining and believe it or not, exercise can help get that energy back, even when it feels the lowest of the low! I know you are probably wondering how, when sometimes you may feel like you do not even have enough energy to get out of bed. However, exercise can increase your energy levels. Exercising increases circulation and strengthens your heart muscle in turn giving you bursts of energy. This can allow you to do things you have not been able to do. Maybe it is something you absolutely love- visiting your family, going out dancing, or even spending time at the beach with your friends. One of my best friends has cancer. Chloe Thompson, you might know her? Well, I have personally seen her do all of the above with stage 4 inoperable melanoma!
Exercising With Body Image Negativity
Every individual is different, and some treatments may cause one to gain weight or lose weight. Exercise can help one to improve their body image, which in some cases can bring a lot more positivity to one’s life. Looking good and feeling good can make you feel invincible, literally! Ive discussed this topic many times with Chloe and how she feels about her “before sickness” body and her body now. Its a common issue for cancer patients to feel negatively as their body changes but as your body works hard to fight your disease you need to work just as hard to keep your body in fighting condition. You may not be able to look exactly how you want because of your terminal illness but you sure can feel better about yourself and your image. The mental fight is just as important as the physical fight and feeling confident never hurt anybody!
Exercising With Mental Health
During exercise the body releases endorphins, which help people to feel really good. These endorphins can help rid the effects that anxiety and depression have on the body and on the mind. It is understandable that when dealing with a terminal illness or disease people tend to feel afraid of the unknown. This can lead to anxiety and depression. Exercise does not only get your mind off of these things it causes happy hormones to free your body of negativity.
Just a few reminders to help out with your daily exercise journey:
- Healthy food is important and goes hand-in-hand with fueling your body and giving it energy!
- Most people do not drink enough water, but it is essential in flushing out waste. Half of your body weight in ounces is what I recommend on a daily basis. Just ask Aldrin and Baylee about their Kangen Water!
- Exercise does not mean go outside and flip tires while drinking a protein shake, please remember that! It just means getting your heart going! Walk outside to get the mail, do some core in front of the television, squat on each stair while bringing your laundry upstairs to the laundry room, do pushups (from the ground,from your feet, from your knees, table pushups, even wall pushups), whatever it is you can do and feel comfortable doing. It all makes a huge difference.
- So please, trust me.
I know we just met, but you will not regret it!
Sincerely,
Taylor Schulze
(909)-291-5470
Taylor@TaylorSchulze.com
IG-@TayFittt