The closure of gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools has had an enormous impact on people\u2019s mental health, as well as physical health.<\/p>\n
After losing all sight in his left eye and suffering deep anxiety,\u00a0Aaron Slade\u2019s\u00a0enjoyment of going to his local gym, alongside improved nutrition,\u00a0has helped him lose nearly four stone since the first\u00a0lockdown caused by COVID-19.<\/p>\n
In 2013, after being a successful chef for over 18 years, he woke up with an unexplained black dot in his\u00a0left eye and after\u00a0going to the doctor right away, was diagnosed\u00a0with\u00a0birdshot, an incredibly rare condition\u00a0and form of eye inflammation.<\/p>\n
Aaron\u00a0was\u00a0quickly rushed to surgery.\u00a0Unfortunately,\u00a0all vision was lost in Aaron\u2019s left eye\u00a0and while they managed to\u00a0save his right eye, he is technically declared blind and\u00a0has been left with vision that he describes as \u2018looking through\u00a0black net curtains on an icy window\u2019.<\/p>\n
His loss of sight meant he could no longer do the job he\u00a0loved\u00a0and he spiralled into an incredibly challenging time for his mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting birdshot was incredibly hard but it was\u00a0my mental health that suffered the most,\u201d said Aaron. \u201cThere were times that\u00a0I felt like giving up and I was all alone,\u00a0even though I had my friends and family around me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had psychosis and was hearing negative voices and had deep feelings that I was being watched wherever I went.\u00a0Not\u00a0feeling\u00a0safe in your own home\u00a0is an\u00a0awful feeling,\u00a0which is amplified further by having very little vision.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being assigned a mental health worker to support with his recovery,\u00a0Aaron was introduced to his local gym, Anytime Fitness Truro,\u00a0in 2018. After initially attending alongside his\u00a0health\u00a0worker, Aaron developed the independence to go alone and after seeing the benefits, made\u00a0a number of\u00a0changes\u00a0to his lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I started going to the gym,\u00a0it caused a complete lifestyle change for me and I\u2019ve quit drinking and smoking.\u00a0I took up\u00a0studying diet and nutrition\u00a0which made me realise\u00a0just\u00a0how much physical and mental health were linked.\u00a0At times I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel safe at home, but\u00a0I felt safe at\u00a0Anytime\u00a0Fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, despite this change\u00a0in\u00a0lifestyle, Aaron\u00a0admitted that he did not use the gym to its full effect and it took a moment of realisation in the first national lockdown that it was time to\u00a0put everything he had learned about exercise and nutrition into practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn lockdown\u00a0I was up to 16-and-a-half\u00a0stone\u00a0and it was time to do something about it.\u00a0I\u2019d bought some fitness equipment ready for lockdown, and the confidence and the knowledge\u00a0I\u2019d gained from being at Anytime Fitness\u00a0and studying nutrition meant I was able to apply this and get back to the gym and do things properly in July.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the first lockdown,\u00a0Aaron became fitter and lost close to\u00a0five\u00a0stone\u00a0and after taking control of his health\u00a0with physical activity and nutrition,\u00a0has turned his life around.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to Anytime Fitness Truro, I\u2019m back on track physically and I\u2019ve never felt fitter and healthier.\u00a0I know\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0had support from the mental health team and my doctor,\u00a0but Anytime Fitness has been equally involved in me getting to where I am today.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gym is\u00a0so well\u00a0maintained\u00a0and\u00a0the staff, cleaners and members are all so considerate.\u00a0People see me come in and\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0move stuff out the way.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0so nice and welcoming for me.\u201d<\/p>\n