Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland
Janet, a 71-year-old woman living in Glasgow, has found life changing benefits from participating in weekly movement programmes and volunteer work as part of her daily life.
Working with support from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS), Janet finds solace and joy by joining a weekly circuit session following a stroke March 2023. Combined with other activities that she takes part in, Janet has become an inspirational example of how prioritising movement programmes within the Whole Systems Approach (WSA) is necessary, and how the third sector is doing incredible work to foster this approach.
What She Does
Janet discovered the life-changing sessions after speaking to a CHSS Nurse that she got in contact with through her GP. These sessions not only give her confidence and support, but they are a fun way to move more during her free time.
“The Circuit group are very supportive and the Instructor makes it fun too. It’s good to see people on a regular basis and everyone works at their own level.”
In addition to the CHSS weekly circuit session, Janet undertakes weekly activities and volunteering ventures several times throughout the week to help manage her condition. This includes managing a dog walking programme for a lady in Janet’s local neighbourhood who is disabled, volunteering at a Cat’s Protection Charity Shop and the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals Hospital.
How Movement Helps Her
Taking part in the weekly movement programme and volunteering activities have given Janet’s mental, physical and social wellbeing an invaluable boot. It not only helps manage her physical condition, but provides social benefits as well. With her weekly sessions at CHSS’s Maryhill location, she’s found that taking part in activities with a group of people improves her mood and gives her motivation to revisit physical activity that is comfortable to her. Janet continues,
“I have found that [movement] helps lift my mood. I also feel physically stronger and have managed to do a few minutes of yoga now too, which I haven’t done for a long time.”
Seen here, the enthusiasm she has gained from attending these sessions go beyond the weekly CHSS programme she attends. Janet’s regular circuit classes have inspired her to find the strength and confidence she needs to lead a stronger life, and continually work toward other goals. The regular CHSS circuit sessions also support participants like Janet with the management of a range of other long-term conditions that they may have. Movement boosts mental health which can often be impacted negatively during times of poor health, illness or injury.
Janet said, “I was diagnosed with OCD in my early 20s and this can exacerbate my anxiety and make it difficult to manage at times. Being physically active can sometimes help me manage my anxiety/low mood.”
Whole Systems Approach
Janet’s inspirational story is an excellent example of how the third sector’s hard work to develop and apply the Whole System Approach (WSA) is key and is a small aspect of the programmes offered from within this coalition, demonstrating that the third sector is an important piece of the WSA. The programmes offered from the coalition reach further than helping those manage their conditions: they offer excellent options to foster preventative medicine as well. Movement for Health wants to promote the benefits of a united system and place regular, accessible and inclusive movement as a priority. We work tirelessly to shift the conversation towards actions that support the WSA and its goal to unite stakeholders in placing movement as a priority. Janet’s story exemplifies this interconnected sector that is intent on helping people find both the resources they need to feel better, and the support to carry through those promises.
Janet concludes with, “Attending the weekly Circuit session, along with the advice from the Health Defence Coordinator, helps me to feel supported in managing my condition.”