Member Feature: Jill Maton

This month’s member feature focuses on someone who’s a fairly recent addition to the Inspire Fitness family, Jill Maton.  Jill’s only been with us since February 2019 but has managed to make dramatic changes to her health in that short space of time.

Jill heard about us because we’re reaching out to the diabetic community to let them know about our Metabolic Fit programme which has been designed specifically for Type diabetics.

We’re very keen to work with this group because we know exercise can make a huge difference to the management of the disease and we believe that every fitness centre has an obligation to do the best they can to help prevent or minimise the effects of Type 2 diabetes on both the individual and our health service.  What Jill has managed is fantastic and we hope her results will help spur others on to make a change.

Q. How long have you been a member at Inspire and what were your initial reasons for joining?

I joined Inspire Fitness in February 2019 a couple of months after Ruth had attended a diabetic support group meeting where she talked to interested group members about the benefits of strength training for diabetics.  She shared with us research done by Leipzig University which had carried out a study on the subject which had led to many benefits for a majority the of participants.  Many of them found their glucose levels fell to such an extent that they either came off medication completely or reduced it.

Q. Did you have any concerns or worries about joining a gym and if so, how did they workout at Inspire?

I had considered joining a gym for some time but was put off by stereotypical ideas of it being full of young, lycra-clad people who would make me feel very inadequate!  However, nothing could be further from the truth as I found that people of all ages, shapes and ability used Inspire.  You can exercise at whatever level you feel comfortable at, helped by a group of very good coaches.  It turned out to be a very friendly, welcoming place.

Q. You were recently diagnosed with Diabetes, what did it feel like to be told that you had the disease?

When I was diagnosed with diabetes Type 2 in May 2018 following a routine blood test for another condition my initial reaction was one of surprise.  It had come out of the blue and was not something I had anticipated

Q. Were your GP and the medical team supportive and helpful following your diagnosis?

My GP and medical staff gave me some very helpful booklets on the condition.  However, I do feel at times that Type 2’s are stigmatised as being at fault for being overweight, eating a poor diet and being inactive.  I resented this I was not overweight, ate a good diet and considered myself to be reasonably active.

Q. Has coming to Inspire Fitness helped you manage your diabetes?

I have been delighted with my decision to join the gym as my glucose readings have dropped by a considerable amount to the extent that my doctor is no longer asking me to go on medication.  I have to say that the day the diabetic nurse gave me the information that my blood glucose levels had dropped below the necessary levels, I walked around for the rest of the day with a big smile on my face!

Q. What would you say to anyone else who has recently been diagnosed?

To anyone recently diagnosed with diabetes, I would say that you can take control of your diabetes through diet and exercise.  Of course, it may not keep everyone off medication but you will definitely feel better for it.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Finally I should like to give my heartfelt thanks to Ruth and her team of coaches for their help.  It seems that nothing is too much trouble for them and I now really look forward to my visits.

We’re absolutely delighted with Jill’s results and hope she remains a member for a very long time to come.