When Sherry Lebed Davis' mother had breast cancer in the early 70's she used her dance training and the guidance of her two physician brothers to come up with a gentle movement therapy program to help her mother cope with the physical and psychological aftermath with very positive results. Shortly afterward the program was incorporated into follow-up care for breast cancer patients at The Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and study results were published outlining the benefits to patients from increased flexibility, range-of-motion, energy and circulation.

Breast cancer was a strong link in her family and eighteen years later Lebed-Davis was herself diagnosed with breast cancer and she further refined her unique physical therapy program and the result is on VHS, "Focus on Healing Through Movement & Dance". Before the program begins Lebed Davis encourages her participants to, "have fun and be kind to yourself."

The women on the video are all breast cancer survivors, from six months to 20 years and they come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. This is important because during the routine the viewer will see a range of participation based on recovery stage and comfort level in a safe, friendly environment.

Increasing physical strength and range of motion

The beginning exercises with classical music are loosely based on simple ballet exercises and are very graceful and gentle in their approach. All movements in this section are done with the support of a hard-back chair and as with all the subsequent exercises, take up very little physical space, making them easy to do at home. The focus is on range of motion for the arms, while blending some lower body movements to slowly increase circulation and aerobic activity. There is a cool-down section before moving into a moderate-paced aerobic section with upbeat music where again, the range of motion and flexibility for the upper body is the focus. Lebed Davis moves the participants through a series of gently increasing activity while encouraging them to only stretch to the level where they are comfortable and not to the point of pain. It is the repetition of this program on a regular basis that ensure small gains in each session will make for significant improvements in flexibility, strength, and aerobic endurance over time. The entire routine is approximately 30 minutes in length.

Exercise is widely recognized as an important component for recovery from breast cancer and the Lebed method is gentle enough to be undertaken by anyone who is sufficiently healed from surgery and has the clearance of their physician.

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