CARLSBAD, Calif. - (July 28, 2010) - Jazzercise presented Back in the Swing USA a check for $163,000 on July 28 at the national headquarters of the world's leading dance fitness program. Jazzercise and its 7,800 instructors worldwide, held special fundraising classes last May, during National Fitness Month and donated all profits from sales of Jazzercise/Back in the Swing t-shirts. .
"I am so proud of our instructors who put forth tremendous time and effort and taught incredible classes to raise money for such an important and worthwhile organization," said Jazzercise founder and CEO, Judi Sheppard Missett. "Exercise plays a vital role in the recovery process for breast cancer survivors and we are pleased that Jazzercise can be part of their healthy fitness regimen."
Jazzercise was at the forefront of a recent study at the Breast Cancer Survivorship Center at the University of Kansas Cancer Center (BCSC) that strongly indicated the importance of exercise for breast cancer survivors. From 2008 through 2010, half of the study's participants attended Jazzercise classes for a six month period. The participants underwent pre- and post- intervention assessments of overall fitness, breast cancer risk, and measures of quality of life. The study showed that Jazzercise participants lost 5.6 precent of their total body fat (DEXA), 12.6 percent of their starting body weight, and decreased their levels of insulin by greater than 50 percent. Additionally, the study group demonstrated considerable progress in several measures of fitness, including increased flexibility, grip strength, endurance, and heart rate. They also reported significant improvements in quality of life, including diminished depression and fatigue symptoms. These findings have been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL ("bad cholesterol"), lessen the risk for heart disease, improve glucose intolerance (decreasing risk for diabetes), and greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
The results of the study were presented last month at the prestigious "Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference," sponsored by The National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, LIVESTRONG and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"On behalf of everyone at Back in the Swing USA, I am grateful to the thousands of Jazzercisers who enthusiastically rallied around our mission of promoting joyful, healthy living after breast cancer," said Back in the Swing USA founder Barbara Unell, a 28-year Jazzercise enthusiast and breast cancer survivor. "The generous donation from Jazzercise will be allocated for new breast cancer survivorship medical services and research to help breast cancer survivors heal from the physical and psychological effects of treatment, as well as prevent recurrence."
About Jazzercise
Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. Judi advanced the business opportunities of women and men in the fitness industry by growing the program into an international franchise business that today, hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries.
The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and cardio box movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall "feel good" factor. Additional Jazzercise programs include Junior Jazzercise, Jazzercise Lite and Personal Touch. Jazzercise has raised more than $27 million for charitable organizations around the world. For more information about Jazzercise, go to jazzercise.com or call (800) FIT-IS-IT.
About Back in the Swing
The Back in the Swing USA is the first and only national nonprofit organization exclusively providing grassroots awareness, education and fundraising on behalf of the millions of breast cancer survivors to empower them to get back in the swing of life physically, emotionally and spiritually. For more information, please visit www.backintheswing.org.