Exercising Safely with the Cheshire Change Hub: Carol's Story

You may have already heard about the Cheshire Change Hub - it’s the local health and wellbeing service that’s operated by us at Brio Leisure! The aim of the CCH is to get people from all across Cheshire West and Chester living happier, healthier lives. The three main services on offer are:

• Stop Smoking
• Lose Weight
• Exercise Safely

Exercise Safely is a programme for those with a health issue that makes exercising difficult. The 12 week programme includes a variety of leisure activities that will get you moving and feeling active! Carol, from the Northwich area, recently started the programme at Northwich Memorial Court and kindly gave us a bit of information about herself and how she got on over the first month! She’s 54 years old and suffers from Osteoporosis with Parkinson’s, which has affected her mobility. She found herself moving slower and slower, which was obviously impacting her day-to-day life. Her daughter had heard about the Cheshire Change Hub, and recommended Carol give it a go, so she went to her GP who happily recommended her for the programme. When she came to the centre, she was met by Tomoko, one of the CCH Health Improvement Lifestyle Officers - her job was to find out about the issues that were troubling Carol, and show her how to use the Brio Leisure facilities safely, so she could improve her mobility. She gave her a set of exercises involving the exercise bikes, arm cycle, rowing machines and even the chest press, all with the intention of improving her mobility and building muscle. Tomoko mentioned that although Carol had looked quite frail when she arrived at the centre, 3 weeks later she couldn’t believe how well she was looking! She said “The most striking change for me was her posture. I saw her on the hand cycle, and she was sat more upright than she had been when I first met her, and her cycling speed had increased too!”. Both Carol and her daughter had noticed the change too, with Carol saying how much easier her day-to-day life had become since starting the programme. She was also very pleased with the support she’d received from Tomoko, and said it was very obvious she loved her job, and that she “knew everything about fitness”! All of the Cheshire Change Hub services are available for free to residents living in Cheshire West and Chester borough. Visit the Cheshire Change Hub website for details on the services and their eligibility criteria!