The Wharfedale Hospital Cardiac Club has celebrated its 25th anniversary by making a generous donation of new equipment to the physiotherapy gym at Wharfedale Hospital.
The new exercise machines, which are together worth more than £5600, include a top-of-the-range treadmill, cross-trainer, and rowing machine.
The Cardiac Club is a charitable organisation that helps rehabilitate patients recuperating from cardiology problems. It facilitates evening exercise classes run by professional tutors in the physiotherapy gym at the hospital in Otley.
The Cardiac Club provides phase 4 rehabilitation following cardiac events such as surgical bypass, angioplasty, and heart attacks. The tutors are trained according to standards set by the British Heart Foundation, with which the charity is affiliated.
There are currently around 100 active Cardiac Club members, with ages ranging from 40 through to those in their 80s. The exercise classes are run within a relaxed and friendly environment, allowing members to exercise at their own pace to improve their fitness levels.
A typical class involves around 20 members and lasts for an hour and a half. The session includes a warm-up, circuit-based exercises, work-outs on the new machines, a cool-down, and floor-based stretches.
David Farrow, chairman of the Cardiac Club, said: “We’re very pleased we can make this donation to Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The physiotherapy gym now offers a greater range of exercises on professional-standard training equipment, which will especially benefit patients from the local community.”
Zoe Kirk, head of nursing for the hospital, said: “Wharfedale Hospital has been proud to host the Cardiac Club’s evening classes for the past 25 years, and we are delighted to receive this substantial gift. The high-quality machines will provide a new and improved means of exercise for patients and Club members alike.”
Patients wishing to join the Cardiac Club can do so via the charity’s website, or just turn up at one of the evening sessions on Monday or Thursday, starting at 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm. Membership is free, although members are asked to make a small donation at each class to help cover costs.
