Meet the members of an exclusive Glasgow walking group only open to people with a heart problem.
The cardiac rehabilitation group in Glasgow is helping heart patients regain confidence, fitness and independence through a structured 12-week programme based around brisk walks along the city’s Clydeside.
Led by physiotherapists from Gartnavel General Hospital, the programme supports up to 12 participants at a time and is part of a broader effort to boost heart health, mental wellbeing and quality of life following serious cardiac events.
Between them, the group’s members have experienced heart palpitations, two heart attacks and a heart transplant.
Ian Laird, 61, from Knightswood, was the first member of the group.
A retired MOD Police inspector, Ian survived a heart attack in late 2022 and had a stent fitted.
Alongside the cardiac physio and cardiac specialist nurse, Ian began walking outside to improve his fitness, and it developed into the weekly group still going today.
Due to complications from pericarditis, Ian’s health deteriorated and, a year later, he was told he needed a heart transplant, which he received in March 2025.
Ian said: “I’m very lucky.
“I was critical and the doctor said my life expectancy without a new heart was 12 months.”
As the originating member of the group, Ian still attends every week now in the position of a volunteer.
He said: “Walking has been a crucial part of my recovery and rehab.
“For me, the walking is secondary – I love talking to everybody and hearing their experiences.
“We do a warm-up and a cool-down but in between people go at their own pace, but if you can just go slightly faster to get your heartbeat up that’s the best thing.
“Walking has been a crucial part of my recovery and rehab.
“Sometimes the hardest thing can be getting out, but once you’re out it’s great.”
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Another member of the group, Lynn Belch, 69, from Bearsden, suffered a heart attack in August 2025.
After being treated at the Golden Jubilee and fitted with a stent, Lynn joined the programme to rebuild her confidence and fitness.
Describing her time with the group, she said: “Walking has been life-changing.
“I loved every minute of it.
“I am one of these people, although I walk the dog, I don’t really like walking.
“Although I could walk miles if there were shops on either side.
“I thought perhaps I needed to be taught how to walk properly.
“I can be out with the dog for two hours but most of that time I’m probably chatting to someone and the dog is running around, so I’m not really doing a proper walk.
“At the beginning I was lagging behind, always at the back, but by the fourth week I was quicker and by the time I’d finished I was walking at a brisk pace.
“Everyone had either had heart surgery, a heart attack or been treated with stents to improve the blood flow to their heart muscle. We all had different experiences.
“I lost weight and my mental health also improved.
“It was with great sadness but also a great sense of achievement that I finished the 12-week block.”
After completing her time with the group, the grandmother of one now makes sure to get in her daily walks.
She said: “I try and do 30 minutes and sometimes I don’t take the dog because she wants to sniff every blade of grass.
“If it’s cold and wet, I go to Braehead Shopping Centre.
“I feel much better since I’ve been walking and I know now that in addition to my medication, I’ve also got to walk for my health.”
A newer member of the group, Alison Graham, 61, from Knightswood, began experiencing heart palpitations around 18 months ago.
Her son used a smartwatch to check her heart rate, which led to a diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat.
Alison, a finance administrator at the University of Glasgow, is currently waiting for a cardiac MRI as part of her diagnostic tests to help find the answers she needs.
In the meantime, she attends the weekly walking group, which she has found to be a great source of comfort.
Alison said: “Chatting to the physios and rehab team has been great because I’m not at the clinic very often, so I have a lot of questions.
“Walking with the group has been great for reassurance and answering any questions, and it’s also great to hear everyone else’s stories.
“I look at people jogging and think ‘that looks amazing’, but when I try it myself, I just don’t enjoy it, but I can walk for miles and love walking anywhere near water.”
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The British Heart Foundation estimates that more than 800,000 people in Scotland are living with cardiovascular disease.
To mark Heart Month, the charity is encouraging people to take part in its Walk for Hearts February challenge.
Participants can pledge to walk 28, 50 or 100 miles across the month.
Sheena Burnside, a physiotherapist from Gartnavel Hospital, explains that gentle walking is a “great entry point” for those not used to exercising.
She said: “It’s not just great for the heart but good for the whole body.
“It doesn’t have to be miles. You don’t need to be racing up and down hills.
“It’s about thinking how you can ingrain a little bit more movement and a little bit more walking into your life.”
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