Steven Grimshaw – Living Well Hero

Steven from Saltaire had been suffering with anxiety and depression from a long term injury and he felt he was really at rock bottom. It got to the point where he felt he just couldn’t continue as he was just sitting and existing. He’d been really fit before his injury and so decided he just wanted to get some of that fitness back and start feeling better.

Steven said: “Living well has been a really good resource to me for tips and ideas and ways of getting healthier. Through the Living Well website, I joined a weight management club and I’ve now lost two stones in weight and I’m still losing excess weight.

“I came across yoga and also the active ten walking app when I was looking for some new activities, as a way to get moving again after such a long time of being inactive. I found it really helpful to start walking more briskly and just really getting moving again. I began by parking just five minutes further away from the supermarket. I’m feeling much better in body and mind now and I have a better outlook on life.

“I’m now looking at the food swaps on the website and trying to change some of my eating habits. It’s been really useful for that. I suffer from type two diabetes and with the diet changes, I’ve been able to manage my diabetes without medication for over a year now. So that’s been a really positive change.

“There are lots of resources for clubs in our area, so maybe find a club that you fancy. Try it, even if you’re a bit nervous, everywhere I’ve gone and tried things, everybody’s been really welcoming and helpful. There’s lots of choices on exercises, there’s lots of advice for just exercising at home and just doing that little bit more, and that just keeps increasing as you feel better.

“My advice to anyone looking to make some lifestyle changes is to start small to begin with. Go out for a walk, even if it’s only two minutes to the park and back. I found I was out of breath really quickly and found yoga difficult at the start. I felt like I just couldn’t do it, I could barely touch my toes! But slowly with just little changes I’ve got better and better. I can walk up to ten miles now and yet when I started, I could literally only walk for five minutes”.