Dame Miriam
Dame Miriam Dell: Dancing to a different beat!
Dame Miriam Dell had two successful hip operations over a 12-month period. She was fairly immobile for a few months following each operation and became quite unfit. She tired easily, became breathless going up the stairs to the house and struggled to get dressed. Her GP thought a Green Prescription was the answer.
Dame Miriam's Green Prescription support person, Helene Kaye, based at Sport Kapiti, called within a few days and sent her the first set of exercises. From the beginning she was 'hooked'. "I found the instructions clear, informative, answering my questions and with very entertaining illustrations", recalls Dame Miriam. "There was something very enlivening about dancing around the room warming up with the 'soft shoe shuffle', singing a lively tune", she said.
At first Dame Miriam found some of the exercises difficult, but as her mobility improved so did the exercises. Soon the second set arrived and were even more exciting. After a while Dame Miriam could pick up things, get dressed without help, hang out the clothes and generally get back to normal. She now finds that she can walk further on her 30 minute walk.
Since the Green Prescription, Dame Miriam finds she can achieve more each day and enjoy doing it. "My family tells me I look much better and I certainly do not feel my age, which is 80", said Dame Miriam. Now an enthusiastic advocate of Green Prescription, a number of her friends have been prescribed a Green Prescription while others are practising some of the things she has told them about, like 'finger walking' "which is so eminently sensible for people our age".
"It seems to me that it takes a bit of determination to get started and to commit to doing the exercises regularly. But once you get into the habit you feel great about it. It may seem a bit ridiculous to be sitting in a chair, swinging your arms about, heel and toe tapping, writing your name with the movement of your foot, or tipping your head from side to side, but you can make it fun and believe me, you feel so much better". Dame Miriam finishes off saying "I use Louis Armstrong's music sometimes and I fully agree with the song - 'it's a wonderful world'".
Updated | 06 Jul 2006.
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