The Brain Charity

It’s the one-year anniversary of our Neuro Gym! Since opening in November 2023, the Neuro Gym has become a key part of The Brain Charity, and there can’t be many visitors to our centre who aren’t familiar with the sounds of exercise equipment or the friendly face of our Gym Manager Scott.

We are so proud to be able to offer secure, free, high-quality exercise opportunities to our community. Since opening with just a few pieces of donated equipment, over the year we have added a THERA-bike, a fully accessible treadmill and a Boditrax body composition analysis machine—the only gym space in Liverpool where this state-of-the-art equipment can be accessed for free.

“I wouldn’t do without it,” said Mary. “I think its a fantastic resource, especially because its free, I couldn’t afford a paid gym. I’ve noticed a difference already; my legs aren’t as stiff as before.”

The impact of our Neuro Gym 

In our first year, the Neuro Gym has seen some remarkable achievements. So far, 206 members have been registered and inducted, with the gym receiving an average of 105 visitors each week.

Our clients have also been able to take part in a wide range of activities in the gym, including new age kurling, chair-based yoga, boccia, tai chi and seated dance classes. We have also introduced dedicated women-only and men-only slots for exercise throughout the week.

“It’s lovely to be able to have the freedom of the Neuro Gym because I can’t go to an abled body gym,” said Donna, who has found herself more motivated than ever to exercise. “On the THERA-bike I started on a resistance level of 1 and have just gone up to 2 so I feel like I’m improving.”

Every gym user receives a detailed assessment when they join the Neuro Gym, focused on their individual exercise goals, and assessing their physical health, mental health, and overall confidence. These are repeated every three months in order to track progress and adjust goals.

After three months of coming to our Neuro Gym, 77% of clients reported improvements to their physical health, and 76% reported improvements to their mental health

Our Neuro Gym users have a healthy competition to see who can run or cycle the furthest each month. In fact, so far this year, we’ve worked out that together they have covered the same distance as travelling from Liverpool to Tokyo!

“I love being able to come and use the treadmill, it really helps me with my confidence,’ said Edna.

What’s next for the Neuro Gym and our community?

We have also been fortunate to develop close relationships with Greenbank Disability College and the Neuro Therapy Centre in Chester.

Each partner has held open days this year—many of our clients particularly enjoyed the opportunity to try out specialised sports like power football.

We expect to continue to be able to offer exciting new exercise experiences going forward.

If you want to improve your health at a pace that suits you, email our Gym Manager Scott at gym@thebraincharity.org.uk.

Click here to find out more about The Brain Charity’s Neuro Gym.