CHERI'S EXPERTISE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
- Other neurological conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Pre/Post Physical Therapy/Transition from rehabilitation
- Other Disabilities/Chronic conditions and multiple, complex needs
Cheri Tatem-Hale has an academic education in physiology and psychology, a clinical background and has been certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) for more than 20 years. The bespoke programmes she designs reduce the risk of health complications, help pain management and injury prevention, and allow her clients to work towards other individual goals.
CHERI'S PRACTICE
Cheri makes exercise accessible to individuals with diverse chronic conditions, impairments and disabilities. She empowers her clients by teaching how activity is a vehicle to quality of life, especially for those affected by physical limitations. Cheri helps her clients to regain mobility and confidence, to reclaim strength, to adapt to changing bodies and conditions, to prevent injury and further decline and to maintain independence. She does this by building partnerships with her clients, and with their carers and therapists, gaining comprehensive understanding of each individual’s prognosis, past therapeutic experience and their motivations. She designs and teaches programs that integrate into long term goals continually adapting to changing needs. She works in the home or in mainstream facilities.
HOW IS HER WORK DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS OR PERSONAL TRAINERS?
Her work differs from that of most Physical Therapists in that she helps clients work towards long term goals, and in that she integrates what is achieved in rehabilitation into general well-being through more comprehensive exercise. Her work differs from that of personal trainers in that she is better equipped to work with individuals with complex limitations and to do so safely; her knowledge comes from her formal education, a clinical background and over 15 years experience working with individuals with diverse impairments.
WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN REHABILIATION AND EXERCISE?
Cheri’s work provides what should be the next step after rehabilitation, whether rehabilitation happened recently or a long time ago. Properly designed exercise provides continuity of the healing process, promotes quality of life and prevents recession and decline in health. Often rehabilitation can restore mobility or help with pain, but imbalances or weaknesses remain or are created in the process. Cheri believes that healing is a long term process with no pre-defined form or limit, exercise is but one, albeit important, tool that can be learned and practiced by everyone.
WHAT IS INCLUSIVE FITNESS?
The term Inclusive Fitness encapsulates both a philosophy and an approach; it conveys the belief that everyone can and should be able to benefit from exercise. Where there are barriers in the environment and community, Cheri works to overcome them. Inclusive Fitness signifies that exercise is a way of life and promotes quality of life. To Cheri, Inclusive Fitness means including carers, family, friends and other therapists, and creating a partnership with her clients. It also means creating well-being which includes physical, mental, emotional and social aspects and, last but not least, hope.
