Re: To Tonya: 2007 Goals

[Guest guest]

Tonya,

These are awesome goals and you are so realistic about these and your prior ones too!

I'll help you start goal #5! As a recovered/recovering breast cancer patient... I was diagnosed 3 years in February, had my mastectomy 3 years ago in April and I find that my left arm, which is not my dominant side so already weaker than the right, is still not nearly as strong as the right and is still, I think, weaker than it was before my surgery. I followed my doc's instructions and recovered extremely well and faster than expected, including full range of motion but it still feels weaker, which is frustrating to me. I notice it especially when pushing and pulling my vacuum cleaner like I was earlier today and when I'm reaching way up over my head, it still pulls (though that may be scar tissue pulling).

Does it make any sense to work out just the left arm? I'm especially concerned about my shoulder muscles I think. This has bothered me a long time and I remembered it when I read your goals after vacuuming today.

Though I know this probably isn't what you meant by your goal, I appreciate your help! Can I ask though specifically what kinds of things you're looking to do? If you're looking to use your training expertise, I know if I were in your area I'd be thrilled to take advantage of it! I looked for trainers that understood the needs of cancer patients when I was first recovering and only found one, but I had to join the club she owned to take advantage of it. Already being a member of another one, I didn't want to join hers too (and now her club is closed and I have no idea where she is).

2007 Goals

So someone had posted earlier that they were setting their goals for 2007, so I thought I'd post mine. But I also wanted to ask about who all made their goals for 2006. Did you achieve them all? Did you achieve some of them? Did you totally throw them all in the trash? Anyway, here are my goals for 2007:

1. Improve my Sit and Reach Flexibility Score by 5 inches. 2. Go from a size 8/10 pants to a size 6 pants. 3. Improve my daily food intake by meeting the food guide pyramid recommendations. 4. Squat 300 pounds for 12 reps. 5. Donate my time and talents to assist in the recovery of cancer patients. 6. Complete my book. 7. Bachelors in Athletic Training (This is actually a long term goal to be achieved in 2010.) Completed goals from 2006 1. ACE Personal Training Certification 2. FiTour Yoga Certification 3. FiTour Pilates Certification 4. FiTour and NESTA Aquatics Certifications 5. Lose 20 pounds of fat and build 20 pounds of muscle 6. Dental Makeover Goals not completed in 2006 1. Bachelors in Athletic Training (Although I did complete all the steps I could in 2006 toward achieving this goal.) 2. Become licensed as a teacher (I did complete the tasks for this goal for 2006, but have decided that it is not the career choice for me so I'm not renewing this goal in 2007.) 3. Publish my book (Yeah, this one totally got skipped!) 4. Start producing my exercise DVD's (This one was working until I moved to Union County and found I couldn't continue my tv show to have the footage for the DVD's. Now I'm thinking it will also go on the back burner and will be a goal I set for another year.) All in all, not a bad year for 2006, but I'm looking forward to an even better 2007!

Tonya

[Guest guest]

,

I've dealt with a lot of clients who have had vast differences in their strenght from side to side and I've told them all to train the weaker side for strength seperately from the stronger side. Specifically, I have them go with heavier weights and lower reps on the weaker side, or if their ultimate goal isn't building a lot of muscle, I have them do an extra set on their weaker side.

As for my goal, it started with my FIL being diagnosed with Lung Cancer. In order to help my family get through this stressful time, I started reading and trying to communicate with him that it isn't a death sentence regardless of what he seems to think. I hope our last trip to Georgia where I took my ACE manual and showed him where everything is located and that the pain in his low back and side is probably not related to lung cancer but more likely his kidney's getting tired of him never drinking water, and showed him some of the things that he can do to be beneficial to his recovery helped. Anyway, in some of my reading, I learned about how various exercises helped in the recovery after surgery and how others help with getting through the chemo and radiation. It made me want to learn more about that end of the recovery process and find a way to use my talents to help. I'm planning to contact some doctors and oncologists and see if they might need someone to refer patients to for a little extra exercise. Or maybe donate a few hours a week to visit some of the patients who might be weaker from their treatments and can't get out, but still needs to be worked and maybe do some partner assisted stretching to keep their muscles from atrophy while they are down during the worst part of the recovery. I'm not sure exactly what it will end up being because I'm not sure of the requirements for my education level. The doctors may need to have someone with a degree in physical therapy for the workouts in the middle of treatment, but may be able to refer me to patients who have been released from treatment but are still trying to get back to normal and need a personal trainer. Either way...it will all depend on what the doctors/oncologists have to say.

Tonya

2007 Goals

So someone had posted earlier that they were setting their goals for 2007, so I thought I'd post mine. But I also wanted to ask about who all made their goals for 2006. Did you achieve them all? Did you achieve some of them? Did you totally throw them all in the trash? Anyway, here are my goals for 2007:

1. Improve my Sit and Reach Flexibility Score by 5 inches. 2. Go from a size 8/10 pants to a size 6 pants. 3. Improve my daily food intake by meeting the food guide pyramid recommendations. 4. Squat 300 pounds for 12 reps. 5. Donate my time and talents to assist in the recovery of cancer patients. 6. Complete my book. 7. Bachelors in Athletic Training (This is actually a long term goal to be achieved in 2010.) Completed goals from 2006 1. ACE Personal Training Certification 2. FiTour Yoga Certification 3. FiTour Pilates Certification 4. FiTour and NESTA Aquatics Certifications 5. Lose 20 pounds of fat and build 20 pounds of muscle 6. Dental Makeover Goals not completed in 2006 1. Bachelors in Athletic Training (Although I did complete all the steps I could in 2006 toward achieving this goal.) 2. Become licensed as a teacher (I did complete the tasks for this goal for 2006, but have decided that it is not the career choice for me so I'm not renewing this goal in 2007.) 3. Publish my book (Yeah, this one totally got skipped!) 4. Start producing my exercise DVD's (This one was working until I moved to Union County and found I couldn't continue my tv show to have the footage for the DVD's. Now I'm thinking it will also go on the back burner and will be a goal I set for another year.) All in all, not a bad year for 2006, but I'm looking forward to an even better 2007!

Tonya

[Guest guest]

Hi Tonya,

First of all, thank you for the help on strengthening my weak side. I don't necessarily want to "build" but more or less even out in terms of endurance. This helps.

Second, wow. Your story about helping your FIL and now, trying to find a way to use that experience and your training to help other cancer patients is incredible. I know you will be a huge blessing to all those whose lives you will be able to touch, including family members who will be so relieved to see their loved ones recovering more quickly and in such a healthy way. Please keep us informed about your journey so that we can cheer you on and share in your joy. Thank you so much for telling me (and everyone else) about it.

2007 Goals

So someone had posted earlier that they were setting their goals for 2007, so I thought I'd post mine. But I also wanted to ask about who all made their goals for 2006. Did you achieve them all? Did you achieve some of them? Did you totally throw them all in the trash? Anyway, here are my goals for 2007:

1. Improve my Sit and Reach Flexibility Score by 5 inches. 2. Go from a size 8/10 pants to a size 6 pants. 3. Improve my daily food intake by meeting the food guide pyramid recommendations. 4. Squat 300 pounds for 12 reps. 5. Donate my time and talents to assist in the recovery of cancer patients. 6. Complete my book. 7. Bachelors in Athletic Training (This is actually a long term goal to be achieved in 2010.) Completed goals from 2006 1. ACE Personal Training Certification 2. FiTour Yoga Certification 3. FiTour Pilates Certification 4. FiTour and NESTA Aquatics Certifications 5. Lose 20 pounds of fat and build 20 pounds of muscle 6. Dental Makeover Goals not completed in 2006 1. Bachelors in Athletic Training (Although I did complete all the steps I could in 2006 toward achieving this goal.) 2. Become licensed as a teacher (I did complete the tasks for this goal for 2006, but have decided that it is not the career choice for me so I'm not renewing this goal in 2007.) 3. Publish my book (Yeah, this one totally got skipped!) 4. Start producing my exercise DVD's (This one was working until I moved to Union County and found I couldn't continue my tv show to have the footage for the DVD's. Now I'm thinking it will also go on the back burner and will be a goal I set for another year.) All in all, not a bad year for 2006, but I'm looking forward to an even better 2007!

Tonya