"Good Moves gave me some hope"

I am 60 years old and I live in Poplar with my 23-year-old son. My family lives quite far away from me, so I can’t get their help or support all the time. I have been suffering from diabetes, high pressure, and cholesterol.

I joined the Good Moves session through word-of-mouth, and after joining, I knew it was appropriate for me to join these classes. Slowly but surely, I started to enjoy these lessons after I became comfortable with all my peers.

As we talk about nutrition, healthy eating, balanced food and maintaining a healthy diet in the Good Moves sessions, these lessons has helped me to have a better understanding on what I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy.

Two classes which had impacted me the most were the sleeping session and the action plan session. I learnt how important sleeping is to the body, and how to have a good-nights rest. I also changed my day-to-day lifestyle, using an action plan.

I would wait all week, just for these two days, to be a part of these sessions, as it was just such a lively community with the all the friends I have made. Being in these sessions were so fun to me, and I found the exercise classes the most enjoyable.

These Good Moves sessions on zoom during the pandemic gave me some hope, and completely changed my life as I [was] able to keep myself busy, improve my health and mental wellbeing as well as having fun.

Even though the young went out, from time to time, I can’t even start to imagine what I would have done if I weren’t part of this Good Moves team, as it helped me to keep my mind off the pandemic.

I am still so happy, that Farida [the tutor] took her time to help us and care for us during the pandemic. She taught us so many things, helped changed our day-to-day lifestyle and help us find new friends.

During the Covid period, a session like Good Moves was incredibly helpful, and we needed this kind of support from these classes.

As the pandemic is still going on, if people join this session, it will help them so much, both mentally and physically. They will get so much help, support and advice on what to do and what they can do.

I have many relatives outside of Tower Hamlets, and I tell them I have been able to be part of this session, they tell me how lucky I am to be apart of this.