ONLINE exercise classes for people with life-limiting illnesses and their carers are being launched by Wigan and Leigh Hospice.
The Hindley-based charity piloted the first class on Wednesday (May 20th) for people who used to attend the Oak Centre day service before it was forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 15 people took part in an online chair-based exercise class which will continue to run weekly on Wednesday mornings from Wednesday, May 27th.
Pilot class
Hospice Physiotherapist Dulcie Goss ran the pilot class from her home.
She said: “Many people are feeling that their activity levels have significantly reduced during lockdown, especially as many of our members are shielding so cannot go out for exercise. This is a way to help people back into being more active in a supported way and help them connect with others in the same situation.
“We had a lot of interest and I’m pleased to say that the first class went really well. People enjoyed it and we had some nice chats at the end. Some did struggle with the technology so we’ll be doing practice one to one sessions over the coming weeks to build people’s confidence and iron out any issues.”
Everyone invited
Every person who attended the centre – whether a user with a life-limiting illness including cancer, heart disease, MND or respiratory conditions – or their carer was invited to attend.
The plan is to establish a full timetable of various groups over time.
Ends
Photo: Dulcie leads the class from her home