News
The Duchess visits an exercise group for people with osteoporosis and opens a new animal hospital wing
20th November 2008
The Duchess of Cornwall visited an exercise club for women with osteoporosis in Hampstead today and afterwards opened a new wing of the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals in Hertfordshire.
For her first engagement of the day, The Duchess watched an instructor put the class through its paces and even tried some of the moves herself at a centre in Hampstead, North London.
The Duchess has been involved with the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) for a number of years, first as Patron between 1997 and 2001, and then as President from 2001.
The Duchess’s mother and grandmother died as a result of osteoporosis and over the years she has worked to promote understanding and raise awareness of the disease, which causes brittle bones and affects one in two women and one in five men in the UK.
The osteoporosis sufferers who were exercising to strengthen their bones were aged from their 50s to 70s and attended the Royal Free Recreation Club run by the NOS's West London branch.
The facility is one of a handful run across the country for women with the debilitating condition.
The Duchess told the group and organisers behind the club: "I'm so impressed by this exercise club."
She added that she wanted to "rally the troops" and spread the message about the classes to other local osteoporosis groups.
The Duchess watched a class of 10 women use dumbbells and long rubber strips to strengthen their wrists, hips and spines.
Three million people in the UK have osteoporosis or are at risk from the condition which mainly affects men and women over the age of 50.
When the class picked up the rubber strips The Duchess was invited to follow the manoeuvre, designed to strengthen the upper back, and held the band between her hands then slowly pulled it apart as instructed.
Susie Dinan-Young, a senior research fellow at the University College London's Medical School, created the workout and showed The Duchess what to do.
She said afterwards: "When The Duchess was watching the class she said to me 'this is so gentle', I said no and she asked me to show her what I meant so I gave her a rubber strip and she realised the exercise was quite tough."
Jill Sheppard, 72, a retired BBC producer from Camden who was part of the exercise class, said it was vital women were encouraged to exercise when in their 20s and 30s.
Ms Sheppard started attending the classes eight years ago after shattering her ankle.
She said: "I really think these classes make a difference but I think that young women should be told the value of exercise. Once they get into their 20s and 30s, when most stop training and sports, that's the time they should be doing something."
Earlier The Duchess opened a new wing at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals in Hatfield in Hertfordshire.
The Duchess takes a keen interest in animals and animal welfare and is Patron of a number of related charities, including the Animal Care Trust which is under the umbrella of the Royal Veterinary College.
The town's £8m facility has virtually doubled the size of the medical institution now making it the largest animal teaching hospital in Europe.
New facilities at the improved hospital include extra consulting rooms, a state-of-the-art emergency and aftercare unit, cardiology rooms and a bigger hydrotherapy pool.
The Duchess toured the building and met staff and veterinary students from the hospital which is run by the Royal Veterinary College.
During her visit The Duchess met staff looking after Pebbles, an eight-year-old cocker spaniel suffering from a severe immune system disorder which results in the dog's body attacking its own red blood cells.