Annette Louis is 58 years old, from Essex, and exercise has helped her recover from a hysterectomy.
‘I had suffered with menopause symptoms for around 8-10 years; the hot flushes I experienced were so severe and debilitating that I chose to have a hysterectomy. I stopped exercising as a result and a couple of years afterwards I realised that I’d put on around 2 stone.
I didn’t want to be housebound at 60 and knew that I needed to start moving my body as I had never done any exercise before. I started very slowly with a weekly Pilates class to help strengthen my core. This was a springboard for introducing more exercise into my life including hula-hooping and Zumba. I even enlisted a personal trainer to help me reach my goals.
I am now active in some way every day. For example I now choose to walk rather than take the car to the shops. I can walk up hills without stopping and feel short of breath. I feel so much healthier and have dropped 4 dress sizes. My husband and I even went on a scuba diving trip last year.
The best thing for me though is that I’ve got more energy and it feels like my life has just begun again in my 50’s. I would advise anyone who wants to be more active, to start slowly, and perhaps just with a 10 minute walk every day.’