The Pink Ribbon Program for Breast Cancer Patients

Coming to grips with the reality of having breast cancer is half the battle; the other half is getting through the recommended treatments. Few women know the secret to getting back to 100% again, but Doreen Puglisi is on a mission to change that.

She wanted to offer strength, self-esteem, and quality of life. With a master’s degree in exercise science, she recognized the need for a specialized program in 1998 when she was helping patients get back on track. Her own experience with breast cancer has helped her to create Pink Ribbon Program. Today, her program, which is based on Pilates, is paving the way for how doctors and physical therapists can view the road back to wellness.

“In today’s fast-paced medical world, you don’t get the one-on-one care you really need once you’re done with surgery and are sent home,” Puglisi said. “My mission is not only to show women how to reclaim their physical health again, but also to prove how a specialized program like this can improve breast cancer survival. It rehabilitates the body, the mind, and the spirit.”

The Pink Ribbon Program offers three phases, each lasting two to four weeks. It helps women:

• Regain strength and mobility in affected areas

• Retrain muscles of the upper body

• Improve self-confidence

• Reduce feelings of depression

• Decrease stress and tension while increase energy

• Enhance physical and mental wellbeing

Puglisi’s results with women in her own New Jersey studio are notable, but she knows it’s impossible to reach every woman, which is how the Certification Program came to fruition, enabling Pilates instructors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and nurses to be trained in her method. Puglisi now trains healthcare providers nationwide and travels to anyone willing to host her two-day certification program.

“While everyone agrees Pilates can give you a leaner, stronger body, it also has therapeutic and mental benefits that demand concentration and focus—keys to feeling like you’re back in control again,” Puglisi noted. “Pilates also happens to be one of the more versatile forms of exercise. Nearly everyone can practice it to some degree and tailor it to her body’s needs. Pilates actually has its roots in recovery circles, first created by Joseph Pilates during World War I to improve the rehabilitation of returning veterans.”

Featured in numerous industry publications, including Fitness Expert and Women and Cancer, the Pink Ribbon Program is only expanding. Just recently, scientists linked exercise to helping women survive breast cancer.

Direct your patients to Course Dates and Registration here: http://www.pinkribbonprogram.com/registration.html. Instructors around the country can be accessed at http://www.pinkribbonprogram.com/instructor-finder.html.