I too am so saddened by your loss. I can only hope that the solace that you have been able to provide so many through your ballads and blues and uplifting songs too come right back at you ten thousand fold, from friends, artists, family and your many admirers. Carmella B’han has written the book Mourning has Broken about the loss of her seven year old son in a river accident. Her spiritual process with moving through loss of a child has helped many people find deep meaning in difficult times. Warmly, Martha Eddy

I too am so saddened by your loss. I can only hope that the solace that you have been able to provide so many through your ballads and blues and uplifting songs too come right back at you ten thousand fold, from friends, artists, family and your many admirers. Carmella B’han has written the book Mourning has Broken about the loss of her seven year old son in a river accident. Her spiritual process with moving through loss of a child has helped many people find deep meaning in difficult times. Warmly, Martha Eddy

I am not usually motivated to respond to posts that are about my own work but after reading Carol J’s comment it seemed important to share more about the development of Moving ON Aerobics. First of all, while we have done pilot studies, we recognize the need for replicable research, indeed MOA was awarded a superior status for a research project to be funded by the Komen foundation but it was a year they did not have enough money so the project was given alternate status. Various conditions changed and the research did not get to happen. We’d love the opportunity for that funding in the near future. In regards to Aerobics and it’s deleterious impact on joints: we agree, that is why MOA is a gentle aerobic program - it low impact. It was designed carefully for women already post-surgery to include no jumps gives each women the choice of using more or less force in her lower body weight shifts. Some women are well past treatment and have no joint issues and like the opportunity to put a little bounce in their steps. Most choose to stay more subtle. The video is one of our more upbeat groups. We also have versions of the class that use quieter music and go at a slower pace, as well as some additional dances that are for athletic and basically healthy survivors. This brings us to a key element of our class. The major theme of every class is to become more conscious of bodily sensation - pains as well as pleasures, and to respond sensitively. So while the aerobic aspect of class is emphasized BECAUSE of the numerous studies that have shown positive effects from Aerobic Training, we do not “push it.” Indeed a greater proportion of our time is used to relax through integrated breathing, support lymphatic drainage, and move gently to music. It is this combined program that keeps women coming back. It has been a point of discussion in our training program whether to continue using the name aerobics in the title but because the research has been so positive vis a vis aerobic exercises (see articles listed on the Moving On Aerobics website) that we felt it important not to throw the baby out with the bath water and to move the need for aerobic activity from fad to fact of life. I would also add that the tips listed only focus on the social aspect of the class. As you point out, being in a group while doing something you enjoy, has its own potency. Your points about exercise and nutrition are important and should be heeded. Links to the various research studies you cite could be useful. Here is what I found. And yes to rest and walking. Actually we find that many women dont know how to rest deeply after the trials of cancer. We are able to exchange information about how to recuperate from the days stresses through relaxing different body parts, as well as how to engage in quiet but freeing movement (as close to water exercise as you can get). At one of our sites - Gilda’s Club in NYC - women will choose to lounge on the big coaches in the room during parts of the class or for the entire class as needed. It would be great if more fitness studios had such accommodating furniture! Finally as you learn more about how we began you will find out that our intention was not to “target” but rather from the ground up as a group of survivors combined with other experts in movement and music to build a community that served the needs of cancer survivors. It is this process that I am sure explains why participants keep coming back. Notes: “Exercise enthusiasts and researchers have become interested in recent years to identify any means to help minimize the detrimental effects of oxidative stress that are commonly associated with intense and unaccustomed exercise. It is possible that a decrease in the amount of oxidative stress a cell is exposed to could increase health and performance.” http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2129149 “In summary, it is the position of the International Society of Sport Nutrition that exercising individuals ingest protein ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg/day. Individuals engaging in endurance exercise should ingest levels at the lower end of this range, individuals engaging in intermittent activities should ingest levels in the middle of this range, and those engaging in strength/power exercise should ingest levels at the upper end of this range.” http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2117006 This article explains some about the type of supplements that are be tested on marathon and sprint athletes Page 1. 31 Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 196: 31–42, 1999. © 1999 “Abstract: Glutathione plays a central role in the maintenance of tissue antioxidant defenses and in the regulation of redox sensitive signal transduction. In muscle cells, the level and redox status of GSH regulates activity of the redox sensitive transcription factor NF-kappaB. Physical exercise may cause oxidation of GSH in tissues such as the blood, skeletal muscle and liver. Endurance training strengthened GSH dependent tissue antioxidant defenses in most studies. Although studies investigating the effect of sprint training are few, current results show that sprint training may also have a beneficial effect on tissue GSH homeostasis. Skeletal muscle GSH level appears to be tightly regulated by the state of physical activity. Regular exercise enhances and chronic inactivity decreases the level of GSH in this tissue. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and agr-lipoic acid (LA) are two antioxidant dietary supplements that are able to enhance cellular GSH levels. Because LA can be recycled to its potent dithiol form, dihydrolipoate, by enzymes present in the human cell it has a clear advantage over NAC. Recently an improved form of LA, a positively charged analogue (LA-Plus), has been discovered. LA-Plus has more potent immuno-modulatory activity compared to LA. Both LA and NAC have been shown to have beneficial effects in protecting tissue GSH homeostasis against exercise induced oxidative stress.” http://www.springerlink.com/content/g212057163n5wq18/ Other studies available on line through google are about cellular environments and studies of mice. I also found: Among the more active women 65 and younger, however, those who slept for fewer than seven hours a night saw much of that benefit negated. Their cancer risk was greater than those who exercised but slept more — but still lower than those who exercised the least. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/11/18/healthmag.exercise.sleep… - unfortunately they dont list the citation for the original research But based on reading the article,I guess its time to go to bed! Martha Eddy, CMA, RSMT, Doctor of Education in Movement Science

Thank you so much! My neck alignment just improved 70 percent with access to this larger type. Now I am breathing more easily and have a happier spine. Who knew? Ctrl shift++ to all who want to relax at the computer instead of strain. Best to you too!