Jo’s story “I came off medication and my mental health improved too”

In July 2018 I was lucky enough to be able to take early retirement at 55. At that point, I was very overweight and very unfit. My health was considered high risk with high blood pressure (family trait) and type 2 diabetes. If I was to enjoy my life in retirement, I had to seriously do something about it! The thought of going to a gym filled me with terror and the thought of donning a swimsuit and going to a public pool equally terrified me! I have 2 dogs so I started walking… Until the vet told me I had to cut back their walks! What was I to do? Then one day I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post for a Clubbercise class near me. I’d never heard of it before – a cardio class, to dance music and glow sticks, in the dark! It sounded perfect. So I decided to give it a go. I went to my first class on my own, nervous about what to expect and terrified I’d need a defibrillator at the end of the class! But I needn’t have worried. I was greeted with such welcoming friendliness. The instructor, Emma, took me through the health and safety side of things and made sure I understood that I could take things at my own pace and not to worry if I was going wrong, as long as I was moving and having fun. Paula, one of the other participants, kept checking on me. I survived my first class and absolutely loved it. I was on such a high and felt so energised. Something I hadn’t felt in such a long time. I had started Slimming World around the same time as my new found love for Clubbercise and I managed to lose 3.5 stone and 5 clothes sizes. Wow, I never imagined any of that. More importantly, the health benefits were amazing. I came off one set of diabetic medication and reduced another and my BP became more regulated. Not only my physical health but my mental health improved too. This year it will be 6 years since I started my Clubbercise journey and I still do a double class every week (wish I could do more!). I have made some lifelong friends through the classes and will continue with my journey as long as I can. Find a class >>