11) Moving forward

You have seen from the different stories, there can often be a lot to think about when you are trying to become more active. So how will you move forward from these to start doing more?

Let’s hear how Hugh moved forward in his plan to become more active.


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HughWell I soon realised I couldn’t jump back into the thick of things. I started to go out on small walks on my own, firstly to clear my head, but I found within a short time I was able to walk further and then further still. Nothing “bad” was happening to me. In fact at the next stroke nurse appointment the nurse said my blood pressure was coming down. I was also loosing a bit of weight too. I didn’t go straight out and join a gym, but I did go out and get a dog! I get a lot from walking. Its great exercise and it’s free. It might not suit everyone, but it has given me the stamina, fitness and confidence to get back to decorating again. Not as much as I was doing before, but enough to fix all my son’s mistakes! Hugh realised that in order to reach many of his bigger goals he had to make some small steps to improve his physical fitness and overcome some barriers. His motivation was to get back to his previous role as a painter & decorator, he’s not there yet, but is more involved and is improving every day.

Key point

Challenges can differ depending on our age and stage of life. Fortunately, many of these challenges can be tackled. Finding confidence in your ability, deciding to change and finding support will overcome most challenges.