As I noticed this is your first time with us I thought I might stop by to welcome you to the forum.
I'm glad to hear that you are doing well after your diagnosis and that you want to join a sports centre.
Hopefully some of our members will pop in soon with suggestions on membership prices but until then it might be a good idea to visit your city/town's website and see if they have listed a few local options. Where I live I find that the local centre offers a really good deal when it comes to activities and classes as opposed to the gym brand names, but that might vary depending on where you live.
Don’t know if this would be applicable to you or not but gp’s can arrange for exercise on prescription. I know nothing about this other what I’ve seen advertised on the walls at the local leisure centre but it might be worth asking your gp or your local leisure centre if there is a scheme like this in your area.
I managed to get accepted for a strength and balance exercise class in my local gym after I had attended a self-help group in pain management. This lasted for 10 weeks although I understand that it lasts for 15 in some other areas. Everyone attending the course had been referred by medical practitioners and some of us were in a pretty poor state when we started.
After this I moved on to a weigh-to-go class in the same gym. This was a 12 week course run by the NHS to help people to lose weight. We got weighed every week, had our waists measured every other week. We then had a chat about food to eat and food not to eat, food combinations, timing of meals, getting the correct nutrition and eating out, etc. After that we had an hour of exercise, which was slightly more energetic than the original class, but you only do what you can manage. I have finished my 12 weeks now and can continue these classes by paying £2.60 a week.
I have also found a bigger class for another afternoon. This is pure exercise, but as we are all of very varied abilities, we just do what we can. I pay an annual sports centre concession membership fee for this and then do not pay any more for the classes. These classes have helped me tremendously.
Why not ask your GP or your care team about similar services in your area? Please let us know how you get on.
