THE PILOT Long Covid project operated by Burton Albion Community Trust, in partnership with Birmingham City University is already helping to change the lives of its participants.
The 12 week programme, which is the first of its kind, offers twice-weekly sessions at the Gym Group in Burton on Trent and each activity plan is tailored to each individual.
The side affects of the virus can be devastating, with such symptoms as memory loss, shortness of breath, fatigue, brain fog and much more.
A 42 year-old teacher who has been signed off work with Long Covid symptoms was one of the first people referred to the programme and was suffering with poor lung function and struggling to walk without losing her breath.
At the start of the programme she set herself the goals of fitting into a certain dress size, completing a boxing session and doing an unassisted pull up.
She is mid-way through the programme and so far has already lost a stone in weight, completed a high intensity pad-based boxing session, got back into swimming, jogging and yoga. Most importantly, her confidence and self esteem levels have boosted massively, making her feel much better about herself and pushing her to do physical activity she otherwise wouldn’t have done before.
Steven Rimmer, BACT Health & Wellbeing manager and researcher of the programme said: “Her progress has been nothing short of staggering. From where she was at the start of the programme, struggling to walk without losing her breath to where she is now, only halfway through the program. She is performing exercise on a regular basis and continuously setting new goals as she progresses”
For more information on the project, please contact: Steve.rimmer@burtonalbionct.org
