Strength for Life attends Australian Refugee Association’s Health Expo
COTA SA were delighted to attend ARA’s ‘Wellness Wonderland’ Health Expo at Salisbury Hub along with a variety of different organisations and services. This event is supported by funding from Adelaide PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program under the ARANAP program.
A wonderful Welcome to Country from Naomi and Maureen from ‘Spirits in Unity’ was followed by a truly inspiring guest speaker, Rosemary Wanganeen.
It was such a privilege to attend this event and have the opportunity to speak directly with community members from many different cultural backgrounds about COTA SA’s services and programs. Together we explored opportunities for them to participate in Strength for Life in the Salisbury area.
Many thanks for hosting such a wonderful event!
How Strength for Life helped Christine prepare for and recover from major surgery
One year after taking Strength for Life classes twice weekly, I discovered that I would need a left knee replacement in the future. At my next class, two days after I received this news, my instructor immediately made slight adjustments to my program to incorporate more leg strengthening and abdominal core work.
This program was monitored and updated at regular intervals over the next five years. In due course, five years after the initial assessment the total knee replacement finally took place.
As soon as the operation date was confirmed, my Strength for Life program was modified with more strengthening, balance, and weight work.
Bear in mind that the previous programs were all focused on preparation for the eventual surgery. In addition, I had been given physiotherapy based pre-operative exercises which I did each day and took with me to my Strength for Life classes where I received added assistance from the instructors.
The benefits of the work done with the team from Strength for Life
ranged from being able to comfortably do the post-operative bed and ward
physiotherapy exercises, access the bathroom and shower without
assistance and practice walking and step climbing with physio help. The
improved mobility continued at home.
Knowing that I had the physical strength to get into and out of bed,
move confidently around the house and garden and being aware of where I
was putting my feet, was almost entirely due to the dedicated work
during the previous years with the team at Strength for Life.
The physiotherapy exercises required at home were easy as I was familiar with exercising! Now, five months after my surgery, I am back to my regular Strength for Life classes and working with a specifically designed recovery program set up by my Strength for Life instructor, which will be monitored and upgraded regularly. With the support of the Strength for Life instructors, and the lovely people who make up my classes, I am confident I will achieve an excellent recovery.
- Christine Groeschel, Strength for Life participant at Blackwood Recreation Centre