A Translation Project That Became Something Much More
A few years ago, I took on a project that I thought would be a straightforward professional task: co-translating Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Guide to Recovery, Healing, and Wellness by Naomi Aaronson and Ann Marie Turo into Korean. I approached it the way I approach most technical work — carefully, methodically, with a focus on getting the language right.
What I did not expect was how profoundly the process would reshape my understanding of rehabilitation Pilates, and of what movement can mean for people navigating one of the most physically and emotionally demanding experiences of their lives.
This post is the first in a ten-part series dedicated to sharing what I learned — from the book, from the research behind it, and from my own eighteen-plus years of teaching general rehabilitation Pilates. My connection to this work also runs deeper than the page. In 2011, my mother was diagnosed with mid-stage colon cancer. I watched her move through surgery and a long recovery — five years, much of it in a convalescent hospital — before she finally received the news that she was cancer-free. Walking beside her reshaped how I understand recovery: it is rarely quick, rarely linear, and it asks as much of the spirit as of the body. That experience led me to earn my Clinical Cancer Exercise Specialist certification at the University of Northern Colorado, and to devote my career to rehabilitation Pilates for people recovering from surgery and serious illness. Translating this book brought those threads together, deepening my study of breast cancer rehabilitation through the work of internationally recognized experts and the evidence they present. What I offer in this series is the perspective of an experienced rehabilitation Pilates instructor who spent a significant amount of time living inside a carefully researched, expert-authored guide, and who wants to bring its insights to Korean-speaking survivors, caregivers, and fellow instructors.
Before you read further, a necessary note: Nothing in this series is medical advice. If you are a breast cancer survivor considering exercise, please obtain clearance from your oncologist, surgeon, or physical therapist before beginning any movement program. Your medical team knows your individual treatment history, and their guidance must always come first.
Why This Book Matters
Naomi Aaronson is an occupational therapist and certified Pilates instructor with extensive experience working with oncology patients. Ann Marie Turo is a certified Pilates instructor who has worked closely with breast cancer survivors. Together, they created what I consider to be one of the most thoughtful, evidence-informed resources available on pilates for breast cancer survivors.
What struck me immediately, even in the early pages of translation, was the authors’ insistence on specificity. This is not a general wellness book with a few modifications bolted on. It addresses the particular physical changes that breast cancer treatment — surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy — can produce in the body: lymphedema risk, axillary web syndrome (also called cording), changes in posture and shoulder mobility, fatigue, and more. Each of these realities shapes how movement should be approached, sequenced, and taught.
While translating this book, I first learned in precise, clinical terms just how much breast cancer treatment can alter a person’s physical landscape — and consequently, how much a thoughtfully adapted movement practice can do to help restore function, confidence, and quality of life.
What the Research Tells Us
The book draws on a growing body of research, and the evidence is genuinely encouraging. Studies cited throughout the text — and supported by broader oncology and exercise science literature — suggest that appropriate, guided exercise during and after breast cancer treatment can help reduce cancer-related fatigue, improve range of motion in the shoulder and arm, support lymphatic health, and positively affect mood and overall well-being.
A landmark review published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship found that structured exercise interventions, including mind-body practices, were associated with meaningful improvements in physical function and quality of life for breast cancer survivors. Pilates, with its emphasis on controlled breathing, postural alignment, and gentle progressive loading, is particularly well-suited to this population — when taught by instructors who understand the relevant precautions.
That last phrase matters enormously. Breast cancer recovery pilates is not simply regular Pilates with the intensity dialed down. It requires an understanding of which movements may be contraindicated at specific stages of recovery, how to monitor for signs of lymphedema, and how to communicate effectively with a survivor’s medical team. The book makes this clear on every page, and translating it made it equally clear to me.
What I Brought From My Own Teaching Background
In eighteen-plus years of teaching rehabilitation Pilates, I have worked with clients recovering from a wide range of surgeries and physical challenges — people rebuilding strength and mobility after orthopedic procedures, managing chronic pain, or returning to movement after extended periods of physical inactivity. That experience gave me a foundation for understanding the general principles the book describes: the importance of starting gently, of listening to the body, of building trust between instructor and client before building intensity.
What the translation added to that foundation was specificity. In teaching rehabilitation pilates in general terms, I understood that post-surgical clients often deal with scar tissue, altered body mechanics, and psychological apprehension about movement. The book taught me how these dynamics play out in uniquely layered ways for breast cancer survivors — where the physical changes are often invisible to the outside observer, and where the emotional weight of the diagnosis and treatment adds a dimension that any movement professional must approach with humility and care.
Who This Series Is For
Over the next nine posts, I will walk through key themes from the book: the phases of recovery and how Pilates can be adapted to each; breathing and its role in both physical and emotional healing; common post-surgical movement restrictions and how to work within them safely; the role of the instructor and the importance of communication with the medical team; and much more.
This series is written for three audiences. If you are a breast cancer survivor, I hope these posts help you understand how movement — approached carefully and with proper guidance — might support your recovery and your sense of self. If you are a caregiver or family member, I hope it gives you language and context to support the person you love. And if you are a Pilates instructor or movement professional, I hope it deepens your appreciation of the preparation required to work thoughtfully in this space.
A Note on How to Use This Series
Each post will draw on the content of Aaronson and Turo’s book, on peer-reviewed research where available, and on general rehabilitation Pilates principles from my own practice. I will always distinguish between what the book and research say, what I have observed in general rehabilitation contexts, and what requires direct input from a qualified medical professional. I will not speculate, and I will not overstate what Pilates can do. The goal is informed, honest education — not marketing, and not medical advice.
Generally speaking, research and clinical experience suggest that survivors can often begin gentle, adapted movement programs at some point during or after treatment — but the timing, type, and intensity of exercise should always be determined in consultation with your oncology care team. Please do not use anything in this series as a substitute for that conversation.
Let’s Begin
Co-translating this book was one of the most educationally significant projects of my career. My hope is that this series passes some of that value on — to survivors who deserve clear, evidence-informed information, to caregivers who want to help, and to instructors who want to serve this population well.
If you have questions, experiences you would like to share, or topics you hope the series will cover, please leave a comment below. And if you know someone — a survivor, a caregiver, an instructor — who might benefit from this series, please share it with them. We will continue with Post #2 next week, where we will look at what breast cancer treatment actually does to the body, and why that context is essential before any movement program begins.
About the author
Jaehoon Yang is the founder of Reborn Pilates, a network of 13 Pilates studios across South Korea. With 18+ years of experience, he is a certified Clinical Cancer Exercise Specialist (University of Northern Colorado) and the co-translator of Pilates for Breast Cancer Survivors. He has trained over 3,000 Pilates instructors and writes about evidence-based Pilates, rehabilitation, and movement science.
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