Pam Dale from Congleton has been diagnosed with a condition called PPPD which causes dizziness, she also lives with Osteoarthritis and has had multiple joint replacements, highlighting it was a possibility she could fall.
Pam found out about One You Cheshire East’s, free, Stand Strong programme on Facebook and she signed up online
“I’m not very computer literate, but I did manage it very easily.”
From initial trepidation about exercise, Pam shares she thoroughly enjoyed the programme.
The programme has made Pam more conscious about what she does, the things that might be hazards to falling and now stops to think about things before she does them, such as walking outside and looking for obstacles.
When Pam first came to the Stand Strong classes she shared
“I couldn’t get up off the chair without great deal of scuffling and hanging on and pushing and shoving, trying to get out of the chair.
Just the simple instruction of how to get out of a chair and how to get back and sit in a chair has made a world of difference.”
Not only this, Pam has also been impressing herself and other members of the Stand Strong class with a balance exercise, tightrope walking.
When Pam was being diagnosed with the PPPD, the neurologist asked her to do this exercise and she fell over, now she can walk the length of the room.
“It’s really made me much more aware of my own body of how to respect it and how to look after it to make sure I don’t fall if at all possible.
We all have to accept we are ageing; we all age differently but you have to learn to pace yourself and you have to learn to make adjustments to what your body needs you to do to keep you safe.”
When Pam first came to the classes, she didn’t know what to expect, and when she could get out of a chair on the second week, she thought “Wow, I’ve got to keep up with this.”
“It’s just a fun, happy place. Make that move and come to the class, you will be absolutely surprised at the improvement you can make, and you can incorporate them all at home. You become safer as a result of it.”
The programme made Pam realise
“You’re not the only one that has struggles with ageing, don’t hide from it, don’t sit down and keep yourself safe by not doing anything. It’s much better to bite the bullet and get on with growing old gracefully.”
Stand Strong is One You Cheshire East’s, free, 26‑week strength and balance programme designed to help residents move with confidence, reduce their risk of falls and stay independent for longer. With weekly strength and balance classes, home exercise plans and more, residents can choose to access face to face classes in the community or online.
Pam wanted to share a few words about her coach Molly
“She is sweet, she is funny, she is very respectful, she does not patronise anybody, she does not make a spectacle of anybody if they don’t manage to do the session maybe as well as they will eventually, she just keeps a very careful eye on people who are a little bit more vulnerable and keeps them safe.”
Watch Pam’s video interview here.
If you would like to find out more, visit www.oneyoucheshireeast.org or call the team on 0300 123 5026
One You Cheshire East is commissioned by Cheshire East Council and delivered by Everybody Health and Leisure.