Cancer is a word none of us want to hear, and yet we hear it far too often. In fact, in the US alone, over 1500 people are diagnosed every day. Although it can be terminal, the good news is this: people are living well beyond their initial diagnosis. Researchers attribute a huge part of this improved and extended quality of life to their health and fitness.
The founder of Cancer Champion Fitness, Jen Miramontes, has been training herself and others in fitness and health her entire career. Then one day, her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She asked her mother what she wanted to do with her remaining time. Her mother wanted to hike in and out of the Grand Canyon with a backpack – no simple feat.
Miramontes did her homework and after getting the green light from her mother’s oncologist, they started training. It got dicey at times, but Jen’s mother reached her goal.
Miramontes said, “She made it in and out of the Grand Canyon. However, she didn’t survive the cancer. She did live a better life than she would have probably those last years with the work that she did with exercise.
One thing Jen learned during this process was that there were no experts on training someone with cancer.
Murphy pointed out that the last thing someone diagnosed with cancer, going through radiation and chemo would want to do at the end of the day is to exercise. She asked Miramontes exercise was so important.
Miramontes answered, “When you’re tired, you need to exercise. That’s also a tip for people who don’t have cancer. When you want to the least, you probably need it the most. But there’s also study after study that shows that it decreases the recurrence rate in people with cancer, that people live longer and live better through cancer with exercise and proper nutrition.”
This lead her to create The Cancer Champion Program. It is for individuals who are currently undergoing cancer treatment, or who have recently completed treatment. Their needs are different during this time, so they need a program that understands how they should be eating and exercising.
“When you join Cancer Champion Fitness you’ll receive everything you need to stay on track with your health goals. They can expect a comprehensive program that involves meal plans.”
In addition to exercise, it has a laid out menu for the week that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, beverages, that are nutrient-dense.
Then Murphy and Miramontes talked about what it took, on the business side, to create this program, and about how starting a business is finding people who can give support so its possible for the entrepreneur to do what it is that they’re called to do.
Miramontes says for anyone out there living with cancer, “Don’t give up hope. You can exercise, eat well, and have a community. We will be there for you.”If you or someone you know has been diagnosed, visit CancerChampionFitness.com for resources and expert advice.