Ian at Bexhill Leisure Centre - a case study
How Ian used exercise to help overcome the effects of a stroke
Ian was a valued member of our on-site coaching team, helping to deliver our ‘No Strings Badminton’ session, enjoying passing on his knowledge and passion for playing Badminton to the community. Ian suffered a stroke at the age of 61, this is how the GP Referral programme at Bexhill Leisure Centre, helped him in his return to playing Badminton once again.
"I have always been keen on sport, over the years having been a keen participant in football, golf, tennis and judo, however for the majority of my life (starting in my early teens) my main sport has been badminton. I had stopped playing league badminton and was looking around for ways to keep playing on a casual basis, with this in mind I offered my help running the group. In due course and as a result of this I decided that I would like to do my coaching qualification which in time led to me being able to start another 'No Strings' group at Bexhill Leisure Centre. I had been a regular visitor to the centre having played there from the day it opened, to run this session, I became a part time member of staff with Freedom Leisure".
How did you hear about our GP referral programme? I was approaching my 61st birthday when I had my stroke, this affected my left side and I lost the use of my arm and leg and as a result spent 5 weeks in hospital. On my return home I contacted the Leisure Centre and spoke to Martyn regarding my probable long- term absence. During this conversation, Martyn mentioned the GP referral scheme run by Freedom Leisure for stroke victims. My doctor was happy to refer me and I signed up.
Tell us about your journey on our programme? On my first appointment I was introduced to my trainer (Andy McTear), a young man who I feel has had a major impact on my recovery from day one. Andy fully understood my sporting mentality and my desire to make the best come back possible. Each week Andy would high light different muscle groups that could be fired up, stretched or strengthened and he would regularly point out improvements that he saw that maybe I had not
appreciated, I cannot understate the value of Andy's input. When the 20 sessions came to an end I was informed that it was possible to re-apply for a further 20, I obviously jumped at the opportunity. Andy continued to present fresh challenging exercises and my movement, balance, strength and flexibility continued to improve.
What have the benefits of the programme been for you? I was able to able to pass an NHS driving assessment for a manual car after 5 months and then to return to work a few weeks later. My return to badminton followed shortly after although my movement was very limited and my coordination was poor compared to how it was pre-stroke. I was luckily supported by lots of friends who made allowances for my short comings.
As a result of this intervention, what have you have seen, what change has occurred? I'm pleased to report that I still feel that my movement and balance continue to improve, although on a much lower trajectory, I am able to measure this simply by my court coverage and increased variety of shots.
"I think Andy's knowledge and expertise provided through the GP referral scheme, helped immeasurably, in my early days of recovery, and it's something I always mention to people, when discussing my stroke recovery."