Changing your lifestyle and living a healthier, happier life is possible. Read how Barbara, with our support and guidance, changed her life for the better.
A bit about Barbara
Due to problems from birth, Barbara has had several joint replacements and fused vertebra. She was told she would never walk and Barbara came to us having had multiple falls.
Barbara was suffering from severe anxiety and had not left the house unaccompanied for over 7 years. She wanted to regain some independence, boost her confidence and reduce her anxiety.
About Barbara's journey
Barbara was starting from a really low point because her problems had been ongoing for all of her life. Barbara had made previous attempts to tackle her situation but she had never got anywhere close to where she wanted to be.
Things started to change for the better when Barbara was referred by her GP to us.
Following her referral, we met-up with Barbara and invited her to take part in a 10 week strength and balance programme. This type of gentle exercise, is particularly good for recovering from falls and preventing falls in the future.
However, initially Barbara lacked the confidence to join the programme.
After numerous phone calls and two home visits we managed to persuade Barbara to attend the programme. But despite her willingness to attend, she didn't have any way of getting to the classes and couldn't afford to pay for transport. At this point we stepped in and provided free transport to and from the 10 week course.
About Barbara's discovery
On her first visit in week 1 Barbara had to walk into the class using two walking sticks. She struggled to pick her feet up and clear the floor. Barbara found the first session quite difficult and she cried at the end because she had been so nervous about attending but she felt so proud of herself for managing to complete the exercises.
Week after week for ten weeks Barbara came to the sessions. Over the weeks her confidence grew and she told us on many occasions that this opportunity was "life changing".
The end result
By the end of the ten week strength and balance programme Barbara was full of life. She even managed to stand without her sticks to complete the 10 minute warm-up. Quite quickly, Barbara became the "heart" of the group and she soon realised just how important it was for her to continue with regular exercise classes.
After completing the strength and balance programme Barbara's life had changed for the better and she was committed to keeping it that way by staying active. Barbara went on to attend OTAGO 3 times a week at different locations, Castle Leisure Centre, The Longfield Suite and Stand Chapel.