Jim’s defied the odds since birth
Gym fanatic doesn’t let cerebral palsy stop him
A cerebral palsy suffered who was told he would never walk has defied the odds and now trains in a gym three times a week.
Jim Gilmour, 45, has had the condition since birth and was told he would never do ordinary things like drive, but now works out, helping ease his muscles and stop him seizing up.
At the age of 16, he had a major operation to remove a bone to enable him to straighten his leg.
Since then, he has been determined to prove the doctors wrong and insists: “I am very stubborn.”
Jim, who lives in Renfrew, joined Xercise4Less gym in the town in February 2015.
Although he can’t walk, he can stand up and put weight on his legs — so he uses an adapted exercise plan to make the most out of his workout.
Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth.
It can affect movement and co- ordination and symptoms can include delays i n re a c h i n g development milestones, seeming too stiff or too floppy, weak arms or legs, fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements and random, uncontrolled movements.
Jim isn’t letting his condition deter him, saying: “I don’t know any different as I have learned to deal with it.”
He has also been driving since 1996 and loves his car so much that he cleans it three times a week.
He added: “If I didn’t drive, I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I do. It has helped me be more independent.”
For Jim, a typical workout consists of:
20 minutes on the exercise bike
Pull-ups and standing from his wheelchair on TRX suspension training equipment
Leg extensions, leg curls, shoulder presses and chest presses using dumbbells and barbells and
Another 30 minutes on the bike
Kelly McNeillie, the general manager at Xercise4Less Renfrew, said Jim’s determination has impressed everyone at the gym.
She told us: “Jim is an absolute inspiration to everyone in the club.
“He mostly uses his wheelchair, but manages just fine in the gym.
“Nothing holds him back and the obstacles that he has overcome are amazing.”
Jim started exercising a long time ago, when it was snowing, and said it stops him from seizing up.
“The cold had a major effect on my movement. Even trying to stand up, I was crippled — bent over so much that it hurt my back,” he said.
After someone suggested he should sit in a hot bath and try to bend his legs, he tried a few repetitions and increased it to 300 reps at a time on each leg.
He noticed it helped his movement and decided to join the gym.
“Using the gym helps me to get about easier as I don’t feel as stiff and it helps with the pain,” he added.
Adults living with cerebral palsy are advised to maintain the highest level of health and fitness possible.
Jim currently trains on Wednesdays with a personal trainer and also by himself on Mondays and Saturdays. His goal for this year is to get even fitter by increasing his cycling and using the gym four times a week.
Using the gym helps me get about easier as I don’t feel as stiff and it helps with the pain Jim Gilmour