Fitness, Cancer, and Finding Hope: Carly Fauth on Navigating Adversity

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, host Amy Stone sits down with Carly Fauth, a fitness enthusiast, coach, and cancer survivor. Carly shares her journey of being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, her decision to keep moving through treatment despite medical advice to rest, and how exercise played a vital role in her healing—physically and mentally. The conversation also meanders into personal stories about hobbies, porch dreams, and even eating bugs!About the Guest:Carly Fauth is a fitness instructor, ACSM-ACS certified cancer exercise specialist, movement mentor, and founder of FitFunCarly, a virtual fitness program that helps people get fit in just 15 minutes a day. A lifelong advocate for mental health through fitness, Carly’s passion for wellness deepened when she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in February 2024. As a survivor, she now uses her journey to inspire others to unlock their own extraordinary personal strength and overcome life’s obstacles.During chemotherapy, Carly launched her podcast, Chemo Coffee Talk, straight from her infusion chair at Dana Farber. She continues the podcast from her home studio, offering hope, resilience, and real conversations to cancer patients and caregivers. She also wrote a book from her chemo chair called, "Pray for the Bear".Main Topics Covered:What it means to be diagnosed with triple negative breast cancerThe lack of research on exercise during chemotherapy, especially for womenCarly’s experience advocating for movement through cancer treatmentHow movement and exercise aid in physical recovery and mental healthThe importance of listening to your own body over outside adviceLaunching a podcast and writing a book during chemotherapyThe value of trying new things and building resilience through adversityFun detours into eating unusual foods, playing games (or not), and dream home upgradesQuote from the Episode:"I think there needs to be more emphasis on movement as well as rest." – Carly FauthTimestamps:00:01:00 – Amy introduces Carly and the show’s theme00:02:00 – Carly shares about her passion for exercise00:03:04 – Explanation of triple negative breast cancer00:07:38 – Carly’s lifelong relationship with exercise00:13:30 – Exercising during chemo: what research—and doctors—say00:24:00 – How Carly’s support system responded to her movement goals00:28:29 – Carly’s podcast, book, and Fit Fun Community00:34:15 – Final fun questions and wrap-upConnect with Carly Fauth:Website: https://www.fitfuncarly.com/Podcast: Chemo Coffee Talk (Spotify & YouTube)Book: Pray for the Bear (available on Amazon)Never Miss a Moment of Imperfect AdultingWe invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you'll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.Why subscribe?Stay up-to-date without checking your podcast appGet guest offers delivered straight to your inboxAccess all important links in one convenient placeCatch the highlights even when you don't have time to listenAre you ready? Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-)For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofjFor Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stonebefore that I used Kit. Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors