I thought it was about time I mentioned the gym that I avoid going to. Most people these days have a gym that they avoid going to. I usually end up there about once a week. It's called Ability Bow and it's not your average gym. There are no preening, steroidal young men noisily throwing free weights to the floor (If it's too heavy, why did you pick it up in the first place?), and the staff aren't busy preening themselves or looking bored because you're not about to lift the equivalent of an elephant over your head three times.
But that's not the main difference. The main difference is that I found the gym when I was referred there by one of the neuro-physio team at my local hospital. The people who work in the gym are trained and experienced at dealing with people who are exercising as part of a long term recovery programme, or to reduce long term health risks and improve quality of life. That's not to say that you get an easy ride. But they assess clients accurately and allow you to be more ambitious if you wish.
The gym was originally funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, and despite having many people referred to them by local G.P.s and having a waiting list of around two hundred, they nearly closed this year because of a lack of funding. Although people within the NHS could see the benefits of referring people to the gym, it didn't stretch as far as allocating funding, and it was only at the eleventh hour that the local NHS trust saw fit to come in with interim funding. Hopefully this will be made more permanent in the near future.
The thing is... Aging population, poor follow up after hip-replacements or stroke, or any chronic or degenerative condition, etc. Places like Ability Bow should be available to everyone. The small amount of investment required to train people in existing gyms (and that means proper training. Not places that won't take referrals if you have any long term health issues) or to set up places like Ability Bow would be realised in the savings made to the health service as a whole by enabling people to make more of a recovery or to live more active, healthy lives. Trouble is, the beneficial results won't be seen immediately or very visibly and so the emphasis will remain on headline grabbing initiatives and endless restructuring.
Oh bugger. This means I'm going to have to go to the gym tomorrow.
But that's not the main difference. The main difference is that I found the gym when I was referred there by one of the neuro-physio team at my local hospital. The people who work in the gym are trained and experienced at dealing with people who are exercising as part of a long term recovery programme, or to reduce long term health risks and improve quality of life. That's not to say that you get an easy ride. But they assess clients accurately and allow you to be more ambitious if you wish.
The gym was originally funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, and despite having many people referred to them by local G.P.s and having a waiting list of around two hundred, they nearly closed this year because of a lack of funding. Although people within the NHS could see the benefits of referring people to the gym, it didn't stretch as far as allocating funding, and it was only at the eleventh hour that the local NHS trust saw fit to come in with interim funding. Hopefully this will be made more permanent in the near future.
The thing is... Aging population, poor follow up after hip-replacements or stroke, or any chronic or degenerative condition, etc. Places like Ability Bow should be available to everyone. The small amount of investment required to train people in existing gyms (and that means proper training. Not places that won't take referrals if you have any long term health issues) or to set up places like Ability Bow would be realised in the savings made to the health service as a whole by enabling people to make more of a recovery or to live more active, healthy lives. Trouble is, the beneficial results won't be seen immediately or very visibly and so the emphasis will remain on headline grabbing initiatives and endless restructuring.
Oh bugger. This means I'm going to have to go to the gym tomorrow.
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