SAN ANTONIO – With years of experience in the fitness industry, Samantha Aguirre never imagined she'd be diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
But when she did, two of her biggest hurdles were telling her family and easing up on her exercise routine.
After her first treatment she tapped into her passion and noticed not only was working out possible, it boosted her energy, confidence and mental strength.
"As I continued working out during my chemo journey and during radiation, the symptoms were decreased," Aguirre discovered. "Not many people know that it really decreases a lot of side effects from the treatments that we go through."
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Aguirre learned from her doctor that chemotherapy puts a lot of strain on the heart and lungs — one reason to work to improve cardiovascular health and stamina.
"When you have that heart pumping and you're exercising, it just makes it stronger. And not only that it helps you live longer, because studies have shown that our survival rate is up to five years," she said.
Aguirre understands everyone's journey is different and treatment can be draining, but she encourages fellow cancer patients and survivors to get moving.
She is a certified cancer exercise specialist and runs a personal training program out of MixFit S.A. You can contact her at Saguirre@mixfitsa.com or 210-385-3665.