Sally Ellis fitness running in Sutton Park

SE Fitness is a club run by Sally Ellis, a former Olympic Marathon runner,  that meet in Sutton Park to do running and walking in groups. They use their experience to train people to improve their running and consequently there are great health benefits to be had. Here is a testimonial from Veronique, a Sutton Coldfield resident, who joined the club and has had great results:

I joined Sally Ellis’s fitness group nearly 2 years ago and I must say it’s the best thing I have done to cure my back.  I was suffering from chronic back pain for many years and would have described it as a constant ache, any movements like bending would aggravate it. I had an X-ray and even a CT scan but nothing was diagnosed and the doctors would only prescribe me stronger pain killers. The physiotherapist said I had no core muscles and needed to exercise. I had tried some sport activities like Pilates and badminton, even swimming, but they seemed to aggravate my back quite a lot. So I thought, maybe if I started jogging very gently that should build up my core.

Initially, joined SE Fitness beginners group and started running for 1 minute and walking 1 minute.  This was easy to start with as my stamina was not much challenged but that was not the point. I needed my spine to be able to bounce up and down as, if you can’t do that, what sport can you do? Of course the running time increased and my breathing and stamina did get challenged.  Importantly, progression was so gradual that my back did not ache. My core, in the meantime, strengthened and the back pain has gone! I would definitely recommend anyone who suffers from chronic back pain to start gentle running (as long as nothing is diagnosed, please check with your doctor) as it has really changed my life.

On top of that, there is nothing like exercising in the fresh air and making new friends as well.  The group I am in now, run (and chat!) continuously for 3 to 5 miles.

Veronique

You can get more information on the club’s running times by visiting Wyndley Leisure Centre