Fitness Fanatic Avril is Inspiring everyone to get moving – in a chair! 68 year old grandmother Avril Jackson from Bramhall still works part time for Life Leisure and is continuing to change the lives of many less mobile adults, providing an opportunity to get active and improve their wellbeing with her chair based exercise classes.
Left: Avril (kneeling centre) and the Chair Based Exercise Club at Life Leisure Avondale
Each of Avril’s weekly classes consistently attracts 25 participants and there is a wide range of ages with some even enjoying her classes well into their nineties. Avril devises her routines tailored to suit the needs and capabilities of participants as many people have health and mobility conditions.
Avril who is retired herself has years of experience and specialist knowledge of ‘EXTEND’ chair based exercise which is growing in popularity, especially as people are now living longer and want to maintain a good level of personal fitness well into their later years. There is a real social aspect to the classes. Many people can feel very lonely and the weekly class provides the perfect opportunity for them to make new friends. The chair based exercises are fun and safe for people with health and mobility related conditions.
The classes are provided free of charge to qualifying participants who have been referred through the ‘PARiS’ scheme (Physical Activity Referral in Stockport). PARiS is a hugely successful GP referral scheme, which is a joint partnership between Life Leisure and Public Health in Stockport and provides access to health and physical activity services for people in the local community.
Avril leads three weekly classes, one at Life Leisure Avondale in Cheadle Heath on Wednesday and two on Monday at Trinity Church in Davenport. As well as the health benefits Avril says that the social and psychological benefits of the classes are just as crucial:
“I am passionate about the importance of keeping active as we get older. The exercises we do are safe and enjoyable and the music gets people going so we have a lot of fun too. The idea of these classes is to get people mobile again and some even go on to do other exercise classes as well, such as aquafit or a gym based activity. But, for some people it’s their first taste of exercise for a long time so we take it nice and easy, heel lifts, shoulder circling, side bends and marching on the spot. People come every week because they enjoy it and for some it is quite simply a good reason to get out and about.”
Rita Cage from Cheadle has been attending Avril’s class for about a year. She comments
”I love going along to the class and to be honest I really enjoy the company; we have a natter as well as getting moving. I probably wouldn’t exercise if I didn’t have the support of Avril and the other class members. I have arthritis and I did struggle with my hands to even grip properly, but I can now to do so much more and I get out walking too.“
Michelle Childs, Physical Activity & Health Manager at Life Leisure, commented,
“Avril is a fantastic role model for anyone starting out with exercise especially in later life. She is committed to improving people’s lives through exercise as well as helping them understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She strikes just the right level with her classes and motivates people to come back regularly which is vital to long term improvement. These classes are a huge success and prove that age is definitely no barrier to a fit and healthy lifestyle.”
Avril is also involved in a number of other community based exercise programmes. She is a keen walker and arranges free Health Walks as part of her role with Life Leisure, an 8 week programme getting people into local parks in Cale Green, Adswood and Brinnington for a half hour walk each week.
To find out how you can take your first steps to a healthier lifestyle and see what else is on offer at your local Life Leisure centre visit www.lifeleisure.net or call 0161 482 0900.