Two GP surgeries in South Shields are piloting a scheme which offers older adults a free eight-week fitness programme to help them stay healthy.
The idea behind the Every Moves Matter project is that older people are identified by medics and invited to take part in eight weeks of sessions - which are then followed up with fitness classes and a push to keep them engaged in physical and social activities. The surgeries involved are Marsden Road and Wawn Street.
The project is funded by charity RISE and the activities are supported by Active Families North East, Gorilla Training and South Tyneside Council's Healthy Lives team. So far, 20 people are taking part in the scheme, having been invited based on health data.
Amy Swan, Director at Active Families North East, said: “We’re already delivering a number of free fitness activities for older individuals across the South Shields area through our Well Bean machine project, so were delighted to team up with Rise North East and the GP practices to deliver a tailored program designed to bring health and fitness activities to older individuals in a fun and creative way.
"Throughout the eight weeks we will introduce participants to varied activities including games of bowls, dance activities and seated exercise, of course including our signature pom poms. Feedback from the class so far has been fantastic and we’ve found that individuals are already seeking additional fitness activities to take part in outside of their sessions."
Following the pilot, the North East and North Cumbria applied research collaborative will evaluate its impact of on behalf of RISE, The hope is that other NHS GPs might follow suit with similar plans.
Michael Ali, active ageing development Worker at RISE, said: “Integrated community partnerships provide a unique opportunity to optimise the health and independence of our ageing communities and we are confident that the Every Move Matters programme can achieve significant improvements in patient outcomes without creating an additional burden for healthcare teams.
"It’s been wonderful to see how much fun participants have during the sessions and there is genuine excitement for the upcoming week’s activities."
Michael thanked the partners in the project and the GP practices - and said the team was looking forward to a second set of people taking part in the project.
A participant of the programme, said: "The staff have been fantastic. They have brought humour to the class which has increased my motivation. As the class has progressed I’ve got to build rapport with the other participants. As a result of the class, I have increased my frequency of walking and I hope to attend future fitness classes too."
Nadine Farrow, GP practice manager at Both Marsden Road & Wawn Street Surgeries, said: "Our team has grown over the last few years and our Care Navigators have a number of options available to get patients to the right person to help them with their healthcare at the right time, first time, so we were delighted to work in partnership with this project.
"Empowering patients to be as active as possible for as long as possible is invaluable and has additional benefits of combating social isolation and opens the doors to exciting new opportunities.’"
To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved, please fill out your details on Active Families’ Referral Form https://www.activefamiliesne.co.uk/
