Returning to health

It’s not always easy to get back to better health, particularly if you have a chronic underlying health condition, haven’t exercised since school PE lessons or if you’re recovering from some form of injury. Luckily, there are now several specialist providers of gentle, supportive exercise and therapies which can be adapted to suit your individual circumstances. 

No matter how unfit you are or where you’re starting from, there’s a class or one to one training that will set you back on the path to better health. Even a little exercise can help improve conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, neurological conditions, restricted movement or flexibility issues and you’re never too old to get started.  

The Wallace Practice offer specialist Pilates classes for those with neurological conditions, osteoporosis or arthritis. They’re also a great choice if you have restricted movement or an old injury as there’s a personal assessment before booking a block of classes and the classes are led by experienced physiotherapists who can modify the exercises to suit your needs. They also offer yoga, tai chi and acupuncture, as well as seated Pilates. 

The neurological physios at Spear Physiotherapy in Banchory and Westhill also offer assessments and individual rehab programmes. There are in person classes in Westhill and online classes available. They also offer NeuroPilates classes and work with Step Ahead, a local charity, to provide exercise classes for those who have suffered a stroke. These are held at Aberdeen Sports Village. MSK Sports Therapy and Injury Clinic also offer Pilates classes at their base in Tullos.

If you have back or musculoskeletal issues, then Inverurie Chiropractic Clinic can offer advice on how to look after your back and how to get back to health. As well as spinal manipulation, the staff at the award-winning clinic provide sports and remedial massage, exercise programmes, postural advice, acupuncture, fitness training, reflexology, yoga, nutritional advice and health and wellbeing counselling. 

Yoga can also be a great reintroduction to exercise with its combination of gentle, but deep stretching and mental wellbeing benefits. Look for an experienced teacher who offers one-to-one instruction before joining a class, because this ensures that your stance is correctly adjusted to take any restrictions into account. The road to better health can be a long one, but at least there’s plenty of professional support to help you take your first steps and guide you on your journey.