It’s these 45 sweaty minutes each week that I actually feel like me. The me that used to be, the me who had never suffered through breast cancer, surgery, chemo and radiation. The me who was young and vibrant – not steadily encroaching on 50.

Back in my late twenties and early thirties I was a typical New York City gym bunny working out five days a week in just a sports bra and tight shorts. I took a broad mix of classes, from the typical (step, aerobics, spin, yoga) to the specialised (capoeira, stripper workouts); whatever was on offer, I was in.

I even started working as a writer and editor in the marketing department of my gym. It was win-win – writing about something I was interested in, while being able to slip out at lunch time with my boss to take a boxing class. Plus, I got a free gym membership – score!

Every Friday evening after work my best friend and I would take the 6 train up to a spin class on the Upper East Side. It was a great class on its own, but what made it special was that somehow it became tradition that Sheryl Crow’s If It Makes You Happy would be the last song and everyone would sing along at the top of their lungs. It was more than a class, I felt alive and connected to my fellow spinners/singers – it was a fantastic way to end the week and begin the weekend.

“How spinning made me feel like me again after breast cancer”