Daniel is a really friendly, polite and positive person. He loves to talk and always has a smile on his face. He studies horticulture and digital skills at Share.
Daniel’s previous Student Star assessment showed he scored 7 in the area of physical health which meant he was starting to learn about this topic for himself. In discussions with Share's Healthy Living Coordinator, when setting his healthy living goals, Daniel had expressed an interest in joining a local exercise group and improving his fitness. Over the past 12 months, Daniel has shown real commitment by joining two exercise groups in the community. Daniel comments “It’s good, I go every Friday, and have been doing exercise with my legs, feet and arms. I have to pay £3 but it’s worth it because it’s good for me. On Saturday, I also go swimming and I still do exercise at home like walking which helps me to sleep. I think it’s the exercise that makes me feel better as it helps the blood circulate. It makes me happy and I feel better for it.”
In addition, Daniel has also been attending Share’s weekly Gym Group. The session is run in partnership with the Wandsworth Learning Disability Healthcare Team (WLDHT) and is part of Share’s Live Well, Feel Great project. The sessions aim to help students improve fitness, coordination, strength and balance over an eight- to 12-week period. Daniel says “It was really good, I did the bike, treadmill and weightlifting. It felt very healthy and I felt good.” Daniel has been able to meet his healthy living goals with regard to physical health and as a result of his efforts has achieved positive changes in his body mass index (BMI), functional muscle strength and flexibility.
Daniel also wanted to quit smoking and so our Healthy Living Coordinator supported him to attend the stop smoking service in Wandsworth. He chose a date to quit in December 2018 and hasn’t had a cigarette since. He says “On Wednesdays, the stop smoking champions are helping me quit and it's helping me feel healthier and fitter. I have a cup of tea or go out if I feel tempted.” His achievements have been really inspiring and his kind and caring nature means he’s been happy to help others meet their healthy living goals too.
Daniel hopes to continue attending the exercise groups and meet more of his goals in 2019. He said the Healthy Living Project “was good; it’s helped me a lot and I’ve enjoyed taking part. We did the exercise group, went cooking and learned how to cut tomatoes and peppers, it was interesting. It’s good for your heart and your body. The best way to look at it is to take one day at a time”.
Daniel's family commenting on his progress said: “Daniel and ourselves are very proud of him in all his achievements and would like to thank Share for all the support they have given him.”
