Health Hero – Veronica O’Brien

Question & Answer Session

Q       What do you do to stay fit?

A       I go to keep fit classes at the gym. It’s a group thing and we have personal trainers. I use the treadmill, bike and rowing machine.

Q       Why is exercise important to you?

A       I exercise because I have back pain and need to be more flexible and fit. Also to lose weight. I used to go on the buses all the time and take myself wherever I wanted to go. But because my eyesight is not very good any more, I don’t go out much now and I’ve put on some weight.

Q       How often do you exercise?

A       I go three times a week and it helps me a lot because I feel different in my body and not so much like a log any more! I only go to the group classes because that’s when I get a physical trainer.

Q       Did anyone inspire you to take up regular exercise?

A       I talked to my doctor at the diabetes clinic about my diet to lose weight, because I was having a shake for breakfast and lunch and just one meal, in the evening. But they said the shakes are full of sugar so they gave me exercise on prescription instead. I’ve been doing it now for two months and am feeling a lot better for it.

Q       How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

A       Sometimes it’s hard to motivate myself. But then when you think about just sitting there and getting more and more ill, and putting on more and more weight until your clothes cannot fit you, you get frustrated. So you really have to motivate your own self to get all this weight off.

Q       How has exercising improved your life?

A       I don’t feel the way I used to feel now and I want to keep fit.

Q       What would you say to someone interested in taking up exercise?

A       I would say that I like it! It’s profitable! It’s something worthwhile because at the end of the day you’re making your body more physically fit.