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Christine Tan, 82, regained her strength after a wrist injury left her unable to perform basic tasks
She credits the Lift for Life resistance program at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, with regaining her strength
The program helps older adults improve strength and balance, encouraging continued exercise at home or the gym
An 82-year-old woman who lives alone is revealing how she rebuilt her strength after a wrist injury left her unable to even lift a cup of tea.
While speaking to UK news outlet My London on Sept. 13, Christine Tan recalled being unable to do basic tasks, including carrying her shopping and driving her car after she broke her wrist in 2025.
She rebuilt her strength gradually with help from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London’s Lift for Life resistance program.
“At first, I thought I’d be disabled for life after my accident,” Tan told My London. “I started off with a few exercises, and when I first went, I couldn’t even lift 1kg or even a cup of tea — I had no energy.”
Christine Tan.
Credit: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Tan revealed to the outlet that her strength transformed in less than three months of exercising routinely.
“Every time I went, I would increase the weights, and by the end of 10 weeks, I could do much better. I saw myself improving so much,” she said. “I live alone, and I have to do things on my own, so it was hard, such as shopping and carrying bags, but now I can.”
“I go to the gym about four times a week, doing different classes, and do my best every day to do 10K steps,” Tan continued, adding that “it’s important to keep active at our age.”
Physiotherapist James Cameron created the Lift for Life resistance program to help older adults improve their strength and balance, according to My London.
After 10 weekly sessions at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, class attendees are encouraged to continue exercising at home or in a local gym.
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“Seeing people like Christine is very rewarding. Watching their enthusiasm grow, and the support I’ve had from members of my team, is great,” said Cameron, per the outlet.
He added, “As a team, we are always trying to be as innovative as possible, and we are always looking at improving patient satisfaction.”
Read the original article on People