At 59 years old, Caron, a dedicated secondary school teacher specialising in Food and Textiles, never imagined her life would take such a dramatic turn.
After over two decades of teaching, the long hours, stress and intense nature of her work began to take a toll. The pressures of life gradually became overwhelming and eventually, they began to affect her health.
Caron experienced her first mini stroke three and a half years ago. It was a wakeup call that pushed her to make small changes in her lifestyle—eating better and being more conscious about her health. But further pressures, including caring for her parents, meant old habits crept back in. She found herself “plodding along” until a second mini stroke a year ago forced her to re-evaluate her life entirely…
The Turning Point…
Caron admits,
“It genuinely scared me…Leading up to that, I felt, I am an old person. Although my mind was quite young, my job, going through menopause, going up the steps one at a time—where is that ability to be as energetic and as coordinated and aware of your environment as I used to be? I felt an old person.”
Sitting in the hospital for nearly 12 hours with her husband by her side, Caron reached a pivotal moment.
“The only person that can change my circumstances…is me.”
After consulting with a supportive doctor at the stroke clinic, Caron was put in touch with a lady from Grimsby hospital who was a Lifestyle Coach, who provided her with incredible motivation and advice. She then discovered the Exercise on Prescription programme through One You Lincolnshire. Exercise on Prescription is a fully funded 12-week personalised exercise programme. It is designed for individuals with medical conditions who would benefit from increased physical activity. This programme, combined with the guidance of Magna Vitae’s Lifestyle Consultants, marked the beginning of Caron’s journey toward reclaiming her health and wellbeing.
Taking the First Steps…
Initially, Caron focused on dietary changes and joined Slimming World at the Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth. “It got me through the door,” she says, noting that these small changes helped her lose a stone and a half.
Encouraged by her Lifestyle Coach, Caron was motivated to take the next step—venturing into the gym. Caron recalls, “Walking into the gym was really terrifying…I didn’t feel like I belonged at all. In my late 30s, I loved the gym and went all the time! In my 50s, I didn’t think it was a place for me…”
She began with basic advice and a Personal Programme, sticking to the equipment downstairs. While the programme provided structure, Caron found herself getting bored. One day, she spotted a poster advertising Personal Training sessions and decided to give it a try. That’s when she met Liezi, her Personal Trainer, who changed everything.
Caron told us, “Liezi encouraged me to go upstairs in the gym and try some of the machines…Memory and coordination is slightly affected from what I’ve been through, but Liezi was brilliant at going over things, reminding me. She kept it simple and focused. It was great.”
Small Wins Lead to Big Changes…
Caron didn’t attempt to overhaul her lifestyle overnight. Instead, she took small steps: moving from focusing on her diet to then stepping foot in the gym, personal training sessions to now enjoying group classes like yoga, Pilates, and spinning. With each step, her confidence and strength grew.
She explains, “To begin with, it was about weight loss, and then some muscle mass. I felt quite weak and old in my body. Then thought, I could build a bit of muscle and shape here.”
The results speak for themselves… Caron has:
- Dropped from a size 18 to a size 10.
- Reduced her body age by six years.
- Lost 4 stone and increased muscle mass by 16%.
- Gained the confidence to consider activities she once avoided, like swimming.
Liezi tells us,
“Caron’s story just shows that anyone can get their life back into motion and just with the right mindset, life can be completely different, it’s all down to you. Caron has been a pleasure working with, her strength and determination has brought her to where she is today.”
A Renewed Sense of Purpose…
Exercise has become more than a physical activity for Caron; it’s also her coping mechanism. It helps her manage the stresses of work and maintain a positive mindset, which Yoga has especially helped her with.
“Your mind is a bigger battle than your body,” she says.
By integrating fitness into her routine, Caron feels younger, more energised and equipped to handle life’s challenges. Caron has also become a support for others that are stepping into the gym for the first time, sharing stories about their journeys and providing support and advice.
She says, “It’s about the small wins…You don’t need to change everything at once. Just keep moving forward.”
No Excuses!
Caron’s advice to anyone looking to improve their health is simple but powerful:
“You can do it. Take control of your life. I think I wanted other people to do it for me—tablets, doctors—but it was only what I can control that made the biggest difference.”
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