Fitness Sessions for People Living with Parkinson’s is ‘Changing Lives’ at the Aquadrome
Aaron Boyd, our award-winning gym instructor, has secured funding to help more people living with Parkinson’s in the community. Currently Aaron runs one session per week to help people living with Parkinson's. Now Aaron has secured new funding to add a new class to the timetable, for more people to benefit from these dedicated fitness classes.
“Regular exercise can have a positive impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s”, said Aaron.
“It’s been amazing to see how much people have improved since attending the class. Regular exercise is genuinely changing lives. Some of our attendees are no longer using the walking sticks they previously needed. Several of the group have been to their Parkinson’s Nurse for their annual assessments and reported back that they have had no deterioration in their markers – a big part of this is down to the exercises they’re doing in our class.”
“Since the first day we started the club, sessions have been fully booked, and as word-of-mouth recommendations spread, I’ve had further interest from people wanting to attend, which made me investigate whether we could secure extra funding to start up a second session. Thanks to the generosity of Parkinson’s UK, we’ll soon be adding a second weekly session.”
The first Parkinson’s class ran in February this year, overseen by Aaron and his colleague Sherri Iles. Each week, they welcome around 12 people to the sessions, but with the new funding and two classes a week soon to feature on the timetable, more people will be able to benefit from these dedicated fitness classes.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture Cllr Kerry Morrow said:
“It is wonderful to see this class has been so well attended and it is great news that funding has been received to grow the sessions further. Congratulations to the team at the Aquadrome for developing a class to meet the specialist needs of those people with Parkinson’s. From the positive feedback, it is clear the sessions have been well received by attendees who value it not only for the physical gains they are achieving, but also the opportunity to spend time with other people living with Parkinson’s.”
The feedback from customers attending the class has been overwhelmingly positive:
Angela: “Aaron and Sherri are the best! They’ve taken time to get to know us all individually. They know what we can do, but they push us to achieve a little bit more.
“It’s been great to meet people in the same boat, we’re able to help each other and have a laugh while we’re doing it. I’ve made some very good friends since joining.”
Martin: “You turn up feeling tired and stiff, but at the end of each session, you feel invigorated!”
Elizabeth: “Coming to the group is another confidence booster as we are all at different levels. It is also very good from the social aspect as we all meet for a cup of tea after the session. This is an added benefit as without the sessions I wouldn’t have any interaction with other people living with Parkinson’s.
“I would definitely recommend the sessions for anybody else living with Parkinson’s. There is plenty of equipment for all levels and there’s always somebody to help you.”
“The staff are very friendly and helpful and willing to show you how to use new equipment and helping you to set it up.”