Oar-some benefits of indoor rowing

The 87-year-old from Wellington may be the oldest member to take part in the indoor rowing sessions, but she defers to no-one.

What is all the more remarkable is that 25 years ago Bernadette was diagnosed with osteoporosis, and having lost 10 per cent of bone density from her spine, the prognosis did not look good.

"Doctors said I was only likely to get worse, but exercise cured that and indoor rowing really helped me," she says.

"I went back to see the specialist when I was 71 and he could not believe it.

"He said 'I expected to see you crippled with osteoporosis, but you're not. It's incredible'.

"Indoor rowing is fantastic."

Since then she has gone on break the British indoor rowing record in 2004, and the same year she took bronze at the world championships at Boston, Massachusetts.

Bernadette is a regular at Gym Mostyn, based at Wrekin College in Wellington. The gym is run by former PE teacher Jim Mostyn, who himself has a tale to tell having recovered from bowel cancer following his diagnosis in 2012. He believes his active lifestyle played a major part in helping him to beat the disease.

Indoor rowing had been touted as a potential new growth area in the fitness industry, following an explosion in popularity in the United States. A study by the 2CV research agency found that there were an estimated 1.3 million rowers in the UK, but that 15.8 million people expressed an interest in trying the sport.

Double Olympic rowing champion Alex Gregory says he is not surprised by the surge in popularity, saying indoor rowing machines played a huge role in his training regime.

"Throughout my career, we used the rowing machine every day, in nearly every session," says the five-time world champion.

"It was a massive part of our training because it takes out the discrepancies that the boat provides, for example your balance or timing with crew members.

"The rowing machine takes that away and allows you to really focus on your fitness, your strength and your score.

"It's really exciting to see so many people take to the rowing machine. The more people we can get involved, the more benefits we will see."

The wall's of Jim's gym are festooned with photographs of people who attend the rowing classes. They include Stephen Harpin, who rowed the Atlantic and recently climbed the Matterhorn, and Danny Bidgood who won the British Judo Veteran Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships – beating off Vladimir Putin's bodyguard in the process. Danny's Team GB judo suit takes pride of place on the wall of the gym.

Jim says more than 100 people come to his classes every week.

"Some come purely for the health benefits, some for the challenge, and others to take it to a different level as preparation for competition," he says.

"We love to see our rowers achieve a healthier lifestyle or go on to compete at what is an extremely high level. One of our regulars told me he was convinced he would have been dead had he not come to our indoor rowing classes."

One of Jim's former pupils, Chris Leech, took up the sport following a hip replacement in 2004, and is now an instructor at the gym.

He says: "I was fit and active in my early 40s, but my right hip was on the way out.

"The indoor rowing enabled me to not only return to my pre-hip operation level of fitness, but to surpass it."

Last year Chris rowed the equivalent of almost 10,000 miles, and over the years has taken part in numerous national competitions.

"Indoor rowing exercises every single muscle group," he says.

"You can also do it sitting down, which makes it an ideal exercise programme for all abilities, and all shapes and sizes.

"It's great fun to do to music and I am very keen on that side of things, the beat is everything."

He says rowing is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and says it can be invaluable people with their recovery from serious health conditions.

Chris cites the progress of 71-year-old Martin Licence, from Sheriffhales, who started attending his Thursday class following a heart attack four years ago.

"He is now incredibly fit, as is his wife who also started rowing and has now taken up running. The rehab side is fantastic."

Martin, a retired dairy farmer, took up rowing after being given six months' use of the rowing machine at Princess Royal Hospital as part of his rehab programme. Since then he has never looked back.

"I had no idea what it was all about, but really enjoyed it," he says.

"It helped me to stop feeling sorry for myself and concentrates the mind. Indoor rowing helps you get fit with no impact on knees, legs or hips.

"I am tons fitter now, and indoor rowing to music with that wonderful beat has helped me tremendously."

Martin says he had always lived an active life before his heart attack, doing pilates and going on regular walks.

"I have to say my heart attack and indoor rowing have changed my life completely," he says.

"You can take part in the regular challenges as well as challenging yourself every time you get on the machine.

"It exercises the whole body and is an excellent way way of getting fit and maintaining a high level of fitness."

Jim, 66, who runs the classes with his wife Sally, started the indoor rowing classes in 2003. They proved so popular that he had to decide between his job as director of sport at Wrekin College, or running the gym full time.

He chose the latter.

He says: "We are hearing about this new fitness fad gripping London at the moment called indoor running to music, and how it's the thing of the future, but we have been doing it here in Telford for the last 15 years.

"It's a low impact way to health, provides complete body exercise using all the muscle groups, and gives a high intensity cardio-vascular workout set to music and at your own pace.

"It works for all ages and we have had primary school children right through to people in their 80s taking part in the programme."