The Turnaround of John

After his last health issue stint with Guillain Barre Syndrome resulting in 6 weeks with a 24/7 Moon Boot on to heal his broken ankle, John Brakel looked to visit our Southern Cross Care Health and Wellness Centres for help to get back on his feet.
 

The Turnaround of John 

By John Brakel

Eight months on since that initial stint in the RAH Neurology Ward and the Hampstead Hospital, I have continued my rehab at the Health & Wellness Centres.

I found out that the Pines Health and Wellness Centre has the latest ‘HUR’ gym equipment from Finland. The machine is automatically programmed with the ‘optimal’ weight and repetitions created by the Exercise Physiologists. After each rep is achieved the machine ‘pings’. I guess the machine caters for the loss of vision with us older folk. What an amazing high-tech gym!

Before your exercise session starts, the Exercise Physiologists get all the participants in a 5-minute circle warm-up before you go to attack one of the machines. You are in a supervised environment, with any queries or questions dealt with immediately by the helpful staff. In between the machine workouts, you have a variety of things incorporated into the programme; such as Step-ups, Chair Sit-up, Boxing, Balancing Exercises, Treadmill, Stationary Bike-riding etc. (You are not going to achieve everything in just one hour, so you alternate some of the activities in your programme next week). You have your warm-down with gentle stretching done after an hour in the circle group with the odd Tai Chi movement thrown in.

The Turnaround of John Brakel

In my case, the next morning is spent at the Carmelite Health and Wellness Centre's Heated Pool (34 C) to relax any tight muscles inherited from the previous day at the Gym. The supervised, low-impact exercise programme in the warm pool is actually enjoyable; after showering you leave the Centre feeling very refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

The moral of the Southern Cross Care story is when you get well, you stay well by continuing with every form of exercise that is available to you (a comment made by my Family GP).

If you want to know more about the services John used, click here