Brain and Spinal Injury Centre creates their BODYBasic gym with Shapemaster

The Brain and Spinal Injury Centre (BASIC) is a registered charity based in Manchester. They are affiliated to the Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre at Hope Hospital and provide a range of support services to hundreds of brain injury survivors.

In addition to their existing services, BASIC wanted to create a gym within their facility. This would enable them to provide exercise based rehabilitation to patients who had largely been left to cope on their own with the consequences of brain and spinal injury, following discharge from hospital. Because brain related illness or injury is often not conducive to self-motivation for exercise, BASIC had to ensure the equipment within the gym was specifically designed with the needs of their patients in mind.

BASIC worked with leading specialist exercise company, Shapemaster, to create BodyBASIC. A state of the art, power assisted exercise circuit was created that exercised all the main muscle groups in the body. The equipment, which is powered by an electronic power system, allows patients to use it either passively or actively, which is hugely important for those suffering from fatigue.

Results:

• Reported benefits range from improved mobility and muscle strength to better circulation, increased functional capacity, improved coordination, weight loss and a reduction in mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety and depression
• The BodyBASIC gym has been a huge success and gets regular referrals from the Hope Hospital
• Around 60% of the BodyBASIC users are stroke victims, many of whom have regained the ability to walk again through use of the gym
• The MS Society now fund places within the gym so that those suffering with MS can access the service
• Even people with a significant disability can now take part in exercise as part and parcel of their ongoing recovery.