The trust, funded by voluntary donations, helps women diagnosed with breast cancer regain their physical strength, improve their body confidence and incorporate exercise into their lifestyle through a combination of manual physiotherapy, clinical pilates, massage and breathing techniques.
The Pink Pilates Trust operates through a network of specially trained physiotherapists throughout New Zealand, which has been growing steadily since its inception in 2006 and includes Louise Parker, from The Studio, in Queenstown.
Ms Parker returned last week from a training course in Auckland, attended by people from around the world.
While pilates was traditionally used to enhance sporting performance and rehabilitate people after injuries, it could also be applied to women recovering from breast cancer.
"Research has found that getting back into an exercise regime like pilates helps to boost the immune system, limit weight gain from chemotherapy, ease treatment side-effects and just generally improves women's quality of life after cancer," she said.
Breast cancer patients often had needs which required the specialist knowledge of physiotherapists, due to relocation of muscles during surgery.
"Often surgeons will relocate abdominal or torso muscles to reconstruct breasts lost to a mastectomy," Ms Parker said.
"This can impair women's ability to do everyday tasks like changing gear in the car, carrying shopping bags and even standing and walking normally.
That's where the physiotherapy side of it really comes into play.
"By teaching them how to adapt to any bio-mechanical changes after surgery, we can make sure they have 100% quality of life.
"The old saying `Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger' certainly applies to breast cancer survivors.
"Having fought the biggest health battle of their lives and won, these women have incredible mental strength.
What we want to do is give them strong, healthy bodies to match."
Ms Parker said she expected the service to be well received in the Wakatipu, particularly as it was the first of its kind in the resort.
"I think there are a lot of women that have breast cancer and require rehabilitation, but a lot of them have been travelling to Dunedin for those services.
For more information, visit www.pinkpilates.co.nz.
