Book Review: Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors – A Guide to Recovery, Healing and Wellness by Naomi Aaronson and Ann Marie Turo

“Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors – A Guide to Recovery, Healing and Wellness” by Naomi Aaronson and Ann Marie Turo is highly recommended.

This book keeps it real. Its goal is to help other breast cancer survivors heal with Pilates by regaining control, strength, and confidence as well as to be able to perform daily living tasks more easily. This book is filled with inspiring quotes and life experiences of many breast cancer survivors who have incorporated Pilates into their recovery to wellness. At the very start of this book, you find that it is dedicated to “Beth Mast, an occupational therapist and Pilates practitioner who used Pilates herself to recover from breast cancer and who is now using Pilates on her journey through living with metastatic cancer. Beth said that “Pilates can be done by even the weakest”. It was the only exercise that she could tolerate after going through chemotherapy and becoming increasingly anaemic, unable to stand even to brush her teeth.”.

Readers will uncover why Pilates especially has so many benefits for anyone going through their breast cancer journey, given that ‘Pilates:

• can be done in many different positions, supine, prone, side lying, standing and seated,
• exercises can be modified as required,
• is a whole-body exercise system of mindful movement, where the mind, body and soul are all engaged and work together,
• principles help you to live in the moment,
• focuses on deep breathing,
• increases strength, especially where it is needed in the body after breast cancer surgery,
• improves muscle proprioception and kinaesthesia, which are often impacted after surgery,
• can assist with bladder control problems, commonly a complication for women during menopause,
• reinforces what your body can do rather than what it cannot.’

For Pilates Instructors, this book opens your eyes to breast cancer and the after-effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation on a woman’s body. It provides guidance on gentle stretches, an initial Mat Pilates program, a Pilates program where reconstruction surgery has been undertaken, a Chair Pilates program and a standing Pilates program. These programs are then divided into 3 different phases commencing from 1 to 3. Phase 1 exercises help improve range of movement, Phases 2 and 3 are then designed to improve strength and endurance.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend it to all Pilates instructors and anyone going through their own breast cancer journey. It is a positive reminder to all that Pilates is for everyone and every single body.

Mariana Borovina, PAA Member 

 

PAA Members – 20% discount off  Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors – A Guide to Recovery, Healing and Wellness by Naomi Aaronson and Ann Marie Turo

Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors – A Guide to Recovery, Healing and Wellness by Naomi Aaronson and Ann Marie Turo was generously supplied for review by Woodslane Health and is available to PAA members with 20% discount.

Woodslane Health is the local distributor in Australia for Handspring Publishing and Singing Dragon Publishers. Handspring and Singing Dragon publish a range of authoritative bodywork, manual therapy, and complementary health titles for professionals, trainers, teachers and general readers.

Woodslane Health are excited to offer PAA members a 20% discount across all their titles with free delivery for orders over $100.

PAA Members: Check under Resources in your membership area for the Woodslane Health discount code.