Pilates Works is pleased to offer The Pink Ribbon Program, a Pilates-based recovery exercise program for breast cancer survivors.
Founded by Doreen Puglisi, M.S., The Pink Ribbon Program was created to help meet the goals of the breast cancer survivor, whose major areas of concern may typically include decreased range of motion/strength, frozen shoulder, body image, depression, and anxiety. Herself a breast cancer survivor, when no formal physical therapy was prescribed after her surgery, Doreen (an exercise physiologist) used her own Pink Ribbon Program to regain the range of motion and strength in her affected arm.

Thankfully, due to early prevention awareness and improved treatment programs, breast cancers, as well as other cancers, are no longer viewed as an automatic death sentence, but instead as a chronic illness. Recent studies indicate a link between moderate physical exercise and improved quality of life for all cancer survivors. Exercise protocols like The Pink Ribbon Program are increasingly needed as the population of cancer survivors grows.

Benefits of The Pink Ribbon Program include:

• Helps regain strength and mobility in affected shoulder and arm
• Enhances energy levels
• Improves sleep and alleviates fatigue
• Reduces feelings of depression
• Enhances physical and mental well-being
• Improves self-confidence
• Provides rehabilitation from surgeries, including mastectomy, lumpectomy, lymph node removal, and reconstruction procedures.

Pilates Works’ instructor Andrea Carroll is a certified Post-Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist through The Pink Ribbon Program. Her training for this program included learning to recognize upper-limb dysfunction and potential risk factors such as lymphedema, and recommended protocols related to various types of surgeries (mastectomies, reconstructions, etc.). As a teacher of movement/exercise since 1988, Andrea adds this area of expertise to a long list of credentials and her recognized skills as a highly effective teacher/trainer.

Currently, Pilates Works is offering The Pink Ribbon Program as a private personal training option with Andrea Carroll:
$125 – Pink Ribbon Smart Start — First intake/assessment session of 80 minutes in length. The client should be prepared to give an overview of their medical treatment/surgeries to enable Andrea to design the best individual program for the client’s needs. The first session will also include taking some baseline body measurements (to help monitor potential lymphedema responses). As time permits, the client may have an opportunity to learn a few basic exercises during the first session.
After the Smart Start session, a Pink Ribbon client who is new to the Pilates Works studio can choose from one of the specially-priced discounted packages listed below:

8 Pink Ribbon “Mini” Sessions for $384 (25-minute sessions) ($48 per session — Regular price for 25-minute privates is $60 per session.) – Enables the Pink Ribbon client to come twice a week for 4 weeks, or once a week for 8 weeks.

12 Pink Ribbon “Mini” Sessions for $540 (25-minute sessions) ($45 per session — Regular price for 25-minute privates is $60 per session) – Enables the Pink Ribbon client to come twice a week for 6 weeks, which is a frequently recommended protocol.

2 private personal training sessions for $99 (50-minutes each) (Regularly $200) – A fifty-minute session enables the client to learn core support exercises beyond the basic Pink Ribbon protocols. The more core support a client builds, she/he is better able to support her/his upper body strength from the inside out. (This is of particular concern for survivors who have their abdominal muscles compromised in relation to reconstruction surgeries.)

10 private personal training sessions for $675 (50-minutes each) (Normally $1,000 if paying by the class.)

Pink Ribbon training can be helpful for all breast cancer survivors, whether their surgery was eight weeks ago or ten years ago. (Prospective participants should already have their drain tube removed, and be cleared for exercise by their doctors).

Any Pink Ribbon client who completes the 12 “Mini” sessions or the series of 10 longer personal training sessions will receive a complimentary copy of a Pink Ribbon Program exercise manual for their future reference for potential continued at-home workouts.

Call 817-386-7832 or send an e-mail to Info@Pilates.Works and ask about getting started with our Pink Ribbon Program.

To read Andrea’s full bio, click HERE.