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Getting fitter is something everyone should consider

/ Health & Fitness

Kim Kami at Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre

Getting fitter in order of ‘look great, feel great and live a great life’, is something everyone should consider – and a visit to one of our leisure venues is a great start.

While for some it is simply about wanting to shed a few pounds and get into shape, for others it represents a positive change in their lives.

Two ladies who are frequent visitors to our Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth took vital steps to improve their physical          health – and they have not looked back.

Louth’s Kim Kami is a 29-year-old mum-of-two, while Kate Snookes, 49, is a self-employed silversmith and goldsmith from Alford. Their lives are very different, but they have one thing in common – they both suffer the agony of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A connective tissue disorder, which causes hypermobile joints that move beyond their normal range, leading to dislocation.

For Kim, it was her knee joints that were affected – a problem that became so frequent that she would often go through the immense pain of correcting the dislocation herself, rather than seeking medical attention.

“It got to the stage where I struggled to walk, and I certainly couldn’t pick up my youngest daughter. I would be in terrible pain and an operation was one of the options to try and help.” says Kim.

However, a referral from her doctor to Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre saw a new life for Kim.

Our experienced staff at the centre worked with Kim to establish a suitable exercise programme, which has seen a massive improvement in her condition.

Her recovery has been so good, that Kim is now planning sponsored exercise events to raise money for the Miscarriage Association UK, and she is also hoping to take on a Three Peaks Challenge.

“I have much more energy and am putting on muscle, which is improving my movement and confidence. Before doing this, I couldn’t do what I needed to for the kids, and I would be so tired. Due to the problems with my knee, I couldn’t pick up my daughter, but I can now.”

Meanwhile fellow sufferer Kate had been confined to a wheelchair – her mobility was so restricted that she could not walk, until she was referred to Meridian Leisure Centre for an exercise programme.

“You don’t just get better, you have to work at it. Doing something like this really helps keep my condition at bay and is very important. This keeps me mobile and once you find yourself in a wheelchair, you never take it for granted again. I am not saying it is always easy, but it is worth it – and you don’t have to wear Lycra,” laughs Kate.

It is clear from the stories above – and there are many more of them – that our centres are not just for those who want to look great, but also for those who need help to feel great and improve their lives!

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