Pam and Heather’s Paracise stories

Paracise is a gentle exercise class, designed to improve mobility, flexibility and balance. Participants can take part at their own pace, doing only as much as they feel able to. There is no floor work (the class takes place from a standing position) and there’s also the option to take part while seated. The class aims to improve participants’ everyday lives through small changes to the strength and flexibility.

Just come along and try it, because if I can do it, anyone can do it!

We visited a Paracise class at St. Andrew’s Church Hall in Barming near Maidstone to see what it was all about, and chat to some of the participants about the difference it’s made to their lives.

Pam’s story

Pam went along to a Paracise class for the first time with a friend, who had suggested she give it a try. Living with osteoarthritis, Pam has been less able to take part in the activities she used to love, and paracise has started to fill that gap. “I used to do a lot of aerobics, and had to stop because of ill-health”, she says. “I still do some cycling, gardening, walking, that sort of thing, but that’s getting less and less because of the osteoarthritis”.

Paracise was the lifeline Pam needed, to keep her staying active, and she has her friend to thank for taking her along. “My friend said, what about coming here”, she explains, “and it’s absolutely fantastic”.

It’s not just the exercise element that keeps Pam coming back to Paracise – she also loves the social element. She tells us “I absolutely love it. Polly (the instructor) is brilliant fun, and you can see the banter we have – its absolutely fantastic. And you feel as if it’s doing you a lot of good as well”.

Heather’s story

Heather had recently suffered three nasty falls, which encouraged her to look for an activity that would help her improve her strength and balance. “A friend of mine suggested Paracise”, she says, “because she goes to the one at Ringlestone”. Thankfully, the instructor also ran a class closer to home for Heather, so she went along to give it a try.

Heather took three of her friends along with her to try Paracise for the first time, and they kept coming back. “I’m enjoying it” she says. “You can do as much as you can do – you don’t really have to push yourself”. And Heather was quick to encourage others to give Paracise a try, especially those who might not feel confident about taking part in an exercise class. She told us, “just come along and try it, because if I can do it, anyone can do it”!

Give it a go

Are you interested in giving Paracise a go, or trying a different exercise class? Take a look at our Paracise page below for more information and to find a class, or visit our group exercise page to find something ideal for your everyday life.