Her house is on two floors with the bedrooms upstairs.
At the start of lockdown, as the family would have been unable to visit her and she would miss our company, she decided to move in with us.
During this time, she stopped her outdoor walks and climbing the stairs as our guest bedroom was downstairs. As a result, she was less physically fit, and her muscle strength, balance and coordination declined.
Added to that, she took a tumble while out walking our family dog and lost confidence to walk outdoors alone. So, when I saw the exercises Paths for All were encouraging, I thought it would be very beneficial to her and we were both intrigued.
I am a medical student and as part of my degree I am studying the subject of physical activity for health. My course required me to volunteer with an organisation using physical activity to benefit health. I chose to volunteer with Paths for All, whose main aim is to increase the number of people who go walking in Scotland. They also focus on improving Strength and Balance, as I have a special interest in this aspect, I chose to focus on that.
During my time with Paths for All, I reviewed their Strength and Balance resources, attended training for teaching Strength and Balance exercises and attended Health Walks in Wester Hailes and Broomhouse to determine people’s attitudes towards Strength and Balance exercises.
When trying some of the Strength and Balance activities I could see that most people were keen to give it a go, some having either tried exercises like this before and others simply keen on improving their balance.
I also saw that these walks are of upmost importance as some members explained that these walks are their only form of exercise and most of their social interactions are done through these walks. Last year, due to covid, there was little opportunity to interact with patients, so it has been lovely being able speak to the walkers and engage with members of the public again.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Paths for All and have gained a lot from this experience. As many people find their Strength and Balance deteriorates as they get older, I think the experience I gained will be of great benefit to my future medical career.
If I have a patient wondering how to improve these factors, I have a good idea as to which exercises to promote and can confidently point them in the direction of Paths for All.
In the meantime, I have been assisting my grandma with these exercises so that she can regain her strength and confidence to re-start her outdoor walks.
Megan is a medical student at the University of Edinburgh's Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC).