Fighting their way back to Fitness at Fenwick2
February 23rd 2010
An exercise scheme for people recovering from heart disease and ill health is going from strength to strength.
The Healthy Horizons programme at Fenwick2 Health and Wellbeing Centre in Lyndhurst has been so successful that many people are staying on once the programme has been completed.
The New Forest District Council Scheme runs for 20 weeks at a time for people referred by their GP. It allows people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, chest complaints, heart problems, depression, stress or those recovering from operations to exercise in the Fenwick2 gym at a subsidised cost.
NFDC gym instructor, Lottie Kirwin, puts the users through their paces on the cardiovascular equipment and supervises floor exercises to build up fitness, mobility and a return to better health. The scheme is also available at NFDC's leisure centres.
Peter Thomas, from Woodlands, said Healthy Horizons has helped him recover from a triple heart bypass operation. "The exercise is supervised so it gives you the confidence to find out what you can manage. It has enabled me to tackle things like gardening and DIY that I otherwise might not have been able to do. It has been very worthwhile," he said.
Joan Williams, from Lyndhurst, has chest problems. "I've carried on with the class because it has really helped my breathing and joint problems. Now I can go out cycling and walking in the Forest - it has been excellent."
Lottie said the classes can be reassuring as well as of benefit to health. "Once you've had a heart attack or a health problem you are scared of having another one and afraid of what exercise might do. You can sometimes become more introverted as a result. Supervised exercise sessions with Healthy Horizons give people the confidence to keep up their fitness levels, improve their sense of well-being and to be more outgoing."