Samantha Harris helps other cancer survivors through yoga

Samantha Harris helps other cancer survivors through yoga

Samantha Harris is the charismatic, super-fit, Emmy Award-winning television host you may know bestDancing with the starsandEntertainment tonight.

And to the M&FYoursWith her family, she is also a much-celebrated series cover star, having appeared on the cover no less than four times. But when a shock breast cancer diagnosis forced her to take a step back to beat the disease in 2014, Harris was forced to regain her confidence and rebuild a strained relationship with exercise.

Luckily, she is now fighting to get fit and has made it her life's mission to study the effects of activity and find ways to keep us healthy, inspiring countless cancer sufferers through her inspiring health coaching and upbeat Instagram posts. At 49, Harris says she's never felt healthier thanks to reevaluating her relationship with fitness, and she's excited to collaborate on a new yoga program that will get you moving again, just like she did.

“On the first Muscle & FitnessYourscover that I did [in July 2002], I was literally the hired fitness model," says Harris, who did the cover again as a TV star in her own right in 2004, 2005 and 2008. "When I got out of college, I figured out fitness. I realized that underneath that soft body from Minnesota, there was actually this muscle that I discovered that I had no idea was there was! I loved getting stronger. I loved the feeling of it and it was so empowering.”

When Samantha Harris was knocked down, she came back stronger

After being diagnosed with stage II invasive breast cancer at the age of 40, Harris' self-confidence suffered a devastating blow, not least because she had always considered herself fit and healthy before the disease. “Being blindsided by a cancer diagnosis was, as you can imagine, incredibly shocking,” she says. “The biggest challenge I had, and I'm sure my surgeon laughed at me, because when I woke up after surgery, it wasn't 'Hey, did everything go well?' it was 'Hey, when can I start training again?'"

However, as millions of people around the world can attest, returning to physical activity after a while is easier said than done. “I had to limit my mobility for six weeks,” says Harris. “I had three operations so it took six weeks before I could go back to the gym.” Even after returning to sport, there were complex challenges ahead that many cancer survivors will surely relate to. “There was so much uncertainty about getting fit again,” Harris bravely shares. "I had a double mastectomy (removing both breasts at the same time), so my entire chest wall had to undergo very extensive and traumatic surgery. I had 11 lymph nodes (which are organs that contain cells for the immune system) removed from my arm, which meant I was incredibly limited in my range of motion. 8 years later, I still very rarely do a full, wide push-up."

Harris began her physical progress with lots of manual stimulation, such as: B. Stretching, and became passionate about learning more about the causes and cures for chronic illnesses. Her book, Your Healthiest Healthy, debuted as an Amazon bestseller and was praised by celebrities like Kris Jenner and Brooke Burke. But being active isn't just for celebrities and the fit and strong. Harris wants her cancer patients to reap the benefits, too, and she says yoga is a valuable tool for doing just that.

To that end, the popular host has teamed up with Susan G. Komen and YogaWorks to launch “YogaWorks Pink.” The program offers three months of free live and on-demand yoga classes taught by top experts in yoga and regenerative health. “I could have really used a program like this,” says Harris, now a professional health coach and national ambassador for Susan G. Komen.

Samantha Harris believes yoga is great for building strength and confidence

Yoga has long been shown to provide several benefits for cancer survivors. A study published in theJournal of Clinical Oncologyfound that yoga reduced fatigue in breast cancer survivors, with participants reporting a significant improvement in their quality of life after completing a 12-week yoga program. Additionally, becoming more active is likely to benefit sleep quality, cardiovascular fitness, and overall well-being in cancer survivors. In general, yoga is considered a safe and effective complementary therapy for cancer survivors and can be easily tailored to individual needs and abilities. Simply seek the advice of a doctor if you are unsure about your individual circumstances.

“I know that for me, sports have become so much of my identity,” says Harris, who also stars as host of “Tug of Words” on the Game Show Network. "I feel like myself when I move my body. I am more productive when I exercise. I am calmer, more patient, and more present. All of this was taken for granted before my diagnosis, but since cancer, I now realize how important it is to incorporate even more stress-reducing techniques to keep this inflammation that comes from chronic stress at bay. Yoga has allowed me to relax my body after cancer to regain my balance and my endurance. And the poses offered by YogaWorks Pink have been customized to meet the specific needs of the breast cancer community.”

Samantha Harris has redefined her relationship with health and fitness

Far from having her relationship with health and fitness destroyed by her cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgeries, Samantha Harris has redefined what it means to her, and these days it's about much more than just magazine covers. “When I was hosting Dancing with the Stars and all my entertainment news shows, all I wanted to do was look good on TV in a dress,” she says. "When I returned to exercise after cancer, I realized that I needed to train my body so that I could feel what my body could do for me. How can this body, this one vessel that I have for a lifetime, carry me through what will hopefully be a very long life? physically and mentally fit to hopefully be able to play with my grandchildren one day? That's the goal that drives me forward."

Find out more about YogaWorks Pink and register for free here!