Regular exercise helping individuals improve their mental health

A generous donation of $15,360 from Canterbury League Club is making a significant impact in the lives of individuals struggling with serious mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, after funding an exercise program aimed at improving mental health and well-being.

Participants in the Canterbury Community Health group, an initiative by NSW Health for almost 15 years, have been achieving great success in using a structured exercise program and exercise-related movements. Assisted by instructors and personal trainers from Canterbury’s health club, C-Life, participants have seen drastic improvements to their physical, social, and mental health. This has allowed many past participants to return to the workforce and live normal lives again.

“Important benefits of this program include allowing participants opportunity to make social connections, better their psychosocial function and job readiness, and achieve overall improvements in quality of life,” said Arthur Siambis, C-Life Health Club General Manager.

Participants attend C-Life regularly on weekday mornings and are guided through classes like Pilates as well complete supervised gym floor sessions.

“People going through mental health difficulties often experience other hardships including financial challenges, social isolation, and significantly worse physical health,” said Peter Winchester, Chairman of Canterbury League Club. “This program enables people experiencing those hardships to experience the benefits of gym-based exercise in a supported and financially accessible way.”