Gym with wellbeing focus welcomes lottery boost

A gym set up with a focus on the wellbeing of body and mind has been awarded a £14,000 lottery grant to develop its work.

The Soma Space in Oswestry was established two years ago by Kevin Braddock, a psychotherapist and fitness instructor, and Jo Hazell-Watkins, a personal trainer and trauma-informed strength coach.

It offers combined strength training and psychotherapy, and prospective clients can refer themselves or be referred by social care workers and GPs.

Mr Braddock said the gym was there to help people start exercising, know what to do and where, and who with, adding that everyone knew about the benefits of exercise on mental health, but the question for many was " how do you do it".

The 12 lesson online Movement for Mental Health programme, which has received the lottery support, focuses on six basic movements designed to boost mental health.

Mr Braddock said: "Our tagline is movement for mental health.

"We're interested in is the benefits of exercise on mental health, which sort of everybody knows about, but the question is how do you do it.

"For somebody who might be struggling with mental illness or poor mental health, how do they go about starting to exercise? What do they do? Who with? Where?"

"As long as you've got a couple of metres square, or a garden, or a space where you feel comfortable to be in, you can start moving," Ms Hazell-Watkins said.

People could try a set of 10 squats just by sitting on a chair and getting back up again, or go for a walk 10 times around their garden," she added.

"A private space, no special clothes and anything that puts a little bit of demand on your body is a good start," she said.

Imogen, who uses to Soma Space, had always been nervous of going to a gym because she thought it would be "full of people who were super fit and super strong and I didn't consider myself to be one of those people".

She said her nerves soon evaporated, adding: "It's helped me certainly with low moods and feeling depressed... When I leave there I feel a sense of relief. I just feel calmer and more at ease."