Linda

Linda’s story

“If you say to yourself, I’m just going to do it for one minute, by the time you’ve started you’re actually quite happy to keep going.”

For many years, Linda has been the primary carer for her husband, who manages multiple conditions. But in recent year’s Linda’s arthritis has begun to affect her to the point where she will sometimes call him for help. This has meant that the two support each other in different but equally meaningful ways. She supports him by doing the shopping and running errands, and they enjoy cracking jokes and playing cards together at home, as well as getting active together when they are able to.

Video transcript

[Razor buzzing]. Been anywhere nice on your holidays, sir? [Laughter]. 

I’m a carer for my husband, Tim. He’s got a number of conditions, and that’s given him quite a few complications. 

I’ve got osteoarthritis. I have it in my wrists and in my ankles. One interesting thing about getting this osteoarthritis, is it’s sort of changed the balance in our household. Now I need to call on Tim quite often to help me. Um, so, yeah, I think he quite likes that. It means that he’s got stuff that he can do that helps me out, and I do things that help him out. 

It’s funny really, because you don’t really think about what you do until someone asks you what you do. Well, mostly I do exercises that I learnt from the physiotherapist. I went to a physiotherapy class. But I discovered that they really helped and you got a lot better really quickly. And they tend to be stretches, and bends, and muscle-building exercises. Not exactly aerobic, I know, but perhaps my walking does that bit for me. I hope so, anyway. 

Even on the days when you don’t feel like it, I have discovered that if you just get up and do it and make yourself, if you just say to yourself, I’m going to do it for one minute, by the time you’ve started, you’re actually quite happy to keep going. If you can do it to music, so much the better. 

How Linda gets moving

Linda does a variety of exercises that a physiotherapist taught her. After trying a physiotherapy class, she realised they helped manage her symptoms quite a bit, leading her to quickly integrate them into her routine. One of the nice things about her physio exercises is that she can do them anywhere and anytime; the low impact nature of them means that she can still stretch and build strength, and that she can slip activity in while waiting for the kettle to boil or standing in the hallway.

In the year since we last saw Linda, she has been busy moving house, making it difficult for do as many home exercises, but she has found the change of environment has motivated her to get out more and take up new activities like kayaking!