PureGym makes heart health a priority this Heart Month

PureGym makes heart health a priority this Heart Month
PureGym has installed a defibrillator in each of its gyms to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates in the UK.
To help improve these stark survival rates, PureGym has ensured its gym-goers have access to this vital piece of lifesaving equipment in its 340+ gyms.

The UK’s leading gym chain has also been raising money this Heart Month, to support us in our work in helping people prevent, treat and manage their heart conditions.

Adam Fletcher, our Head of Community Health Programmes, added: “We’re thrilled that PureGym has hundreds of defibrillators available across its gym network.

“When someone has a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival are reduced by 10 per cent for every minute that goes by without CPR or defibrillation. However, early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival in some cases.

“We’re pleased that this Heart Month PureGym is joining us in the fight to improve survival rates and is leading the way for their industry, recognising that defibrillators are as essential as any other piece of equipment in the gym.”

A vital piece of lifesaving equipment

Every year in the UK, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests but fewer than one in 10 people survive. This is partly because public-access defibrillators are used in less than 10 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

A defibrillator plays an essential part in trying to save the life of someone in cardiac arrest, something that PureGym member, Danny Albanese, 63, from Manchester is very aware of after he collapsed and had a cardiac arrest on the gym floor on 31 December 2019.

Three years earlier, Danny had started feeling lethargic and noticed he struggled to recover from his gym sessions. Tests revealed he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic condition that causes the enlargement of the heart, and he was given medication to manage it.

The morning of his cardiac arrest, Danny had felt fine, but after five minutes of warming up he felt himself fall backwards. Having seen Danny collapse, the assistant gym manager at PureGym jumped into action, administering CPR and using the gym’s defibrillator until paramedics arrived.

Danny said: “They shocked me three times with the defibrillator to bring me round, which I’m so grateful for. They saved my life.”

Doctors confirmed Danny had his cardiac arrest due to his underlying condition and he was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to help monitor his heart. Thankfully it hasn’t been set off since his cardiac arrest and after seeking guidance from his doctor, he’s back training at PureGym. 

Rebecca Passmore, UK Managing Director at PureGym, said: “Danny’s story is a powerful reminder that having access to a defibrillator can help save lives.

"Although there is currently no national requirement for gyms to have defibrillators on site we recognized the importance of installing them across our gyms, which will help to improve the safety of our members.

“As the first official gym partner of the British Heart Foundation we also recognize the essential role that exercise plays in maintaining a healthy heart.

"We are excited to continue our work with the British Heart Foundation to help not only our members, but the nation as a whole, to be better equipped to prevent, treat and manage their heart conditions.”

February marks one year since the launch of PureGym’s partnership with us and to celebrate they’re generously donating £100,000.

This Heart Month has also seen PureGym hosting ‘Love Your Heart’ week, packed full of amazing fundraising activities including raffles, sweepstakes, coffee mornings and charity classes to get hearts pumping.

This money will help support our groundbreaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases, like heart attack and stroke.