Being fit for life

Press, 3 October 1985, Page 16

Being fit for life

MAVIS AIREY

checks

out an exercise clinic programmed to beat illness

After the birth of her fifth child Janice Abernethy suffered a serious bout of postnatal depression. Eighteen months later it was still with her, and she was taking anti-depressants and sleeping pills. “I felt it had been around too long, and I decided to do something about it.” Her doctor suggested exercise. Two months ago she started a course at the Christchurch Exercise Clinic. Already she feels a different person. “It’s completely changed my lifestyle. It’s wonderful,” she enthuses. “I really look forward to my daily jog by the river, and I’ve cut my sleeping pills by half. “I’ve lost weight, my blood pressure is down, and I feel so much more energy I hope soon to cut down the anti-depressants.” Alan Chambers’ problem was high blood pressure combined with being overweight.

“I had been a panel beater, very active. Then I got promoted to foreman. For the past 18 months I’ve been just sitting around. “I felt I had no motivation, no energy.” After two months at the exercise clinic his blood pressure is down to normal, he has begun to lose weight, and he went 300 metres further in his fitness test than when he started.

Like Janice, he’s thrilled with the results. Is he going to carry on exercising? “By Jove, Yes!”

The exercise clinic was started about two years ago by a Christchurch general, practitioner, and former 1 Iron Man, John Hellemans.

He found that many of his patients were suffering from illnesses directly related to lifestyle: obesity, coronary heart disease, back pain, high blood pressure, depression, and psychosomatic illnesses. From his knowledge of recent medical research he became convinced that a regular programme of exercise could both prevent and cure many of these ailments, as well as improve the quality of life. During the eight-week course participants are instructed in what type of exercise is beneficial for

their health. They also attend discussions on health and exercise related topics, such as nutrition, how to cope with stress, preventing injuries, and so on. Between sessions, they exercise regularly. Special attention is paid to recording blood pressure, pulse rate, weight changes, and how participants do in the Cooper test, a 12-min-nute, walk-jog fitness test which is done at the beginning and end of each course. The clinic is run by health professionals and sponsored by the National Heart Foundation.