Brian Wilson has recently completed 1,000 miles using the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) bike at the Aspire Centre Leisure, the first leisure centre in Europe for both disabled and non-disabled people. It is also the only leisure provider in the country that has an FES bike freely available for all of its members, centre card users and non-members. The bike is located in the heart of the fitness studio at the Aspire Leisure Centre in Stanmore, and is just one of a number of unique selling points the Centre has to offer. FES is a rehabilitation technique where electrical current is applied to a disabled person to enhance their ability to function and live independently.

Brian Wilson has been coming to the Aspire Leisure Centre twice a week for four years with his wife Janice. They have to travel on four buses each way from Welwyn Garden City, but for Brian it is worth it as regular use of the equipment has resulted in him seeing real benefits, including improved toning and physical development of the upper and lower legs. He has secondary progressive MS and is a wheelchair user with no physical control over his legs from the waist down and has limited sensation in the lower-half of his body.

Brian says, “The Aspire Leisure Centre has great facilities for both disabled and non-disabled people, which is why it is worth it for me to take four buses just to get there. My health has benefited directly from using the FES regularly, but I also enjoy visiting the Aspire Leisure Centre because of its family atmosphere and the warm welcome we always get from other visitors and the staff. The social side of visiting the Centre is very important to me and I have made some good friends over the years.”

Dean Tearle, Aspire Leisure Centre Manager, says, “It is great to see one of our members benefiting so much from our facilities and we are grateful to Cyclone for supplying the FES bike. The Aspire Leisure Centre is fully accessible, including a swimming pool and fully equipped gym, and around a third of our members are disabled and 20% of our staff. We encourage anyone who is interested in using our facilities to come in to meet us and have a full tour of what we have to offer.”

For more information on our FES bike or any of the specialist equipment and services we have to offer, please get in contact and visit our website www.aspireleisurecentre.org.uk.