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Improving health and physical activity levels

Becoming more active is important for improving health and easing pain

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Healthy weight, giving up smoking, alcohol

Please visit our Health and Wellbeing web page for information about healthy eating, support for losing weight, giving up smoking and alcohol

How to increase physical activity levels

There are national schemes as well as local schemes in Gloucestershire to help you become more active

National Guidelines

Physical activity guidelines for adults

Online resources

  1. NHS Live Well – info on for e.g. activity guidelines, free gym passes, green gyms, park gyms, cycle schemes
  2. NHS Choices Exercise videos –10 minute work outs designed to complete at home.

Apps endorsed by the NHS

A full list of recommended apps can be found at the NHS Apps library, we particularly recommend the following apps for increasing physical activity levels:

  1. Active 10 – designed to encourage individuals to do brisk walking for a minimum of 10 minute periods
  2. Couch to 5k – designed to get people more active by gradually building up a walking to running programme
  3. iPrescribe Exercise – creates a 12-week exercise plan based on health information entered by the user. It then sets the duration and intensity of the exercise based on this information. It helps to improve overall health, but can also be used to manage a number of long-term health conditions and help those at risk of developing them become more active.

Local schemes for increasing physical activity in Gloucestershire

A full list of services to help increase physical activity in Gloucestershire can be found at the Your Circle website. Some examples of local physical activity schemes include:

Cheltenham

  1. Healthy Lifestyles Service - A free service you can refer yourslf to for help with losing weight, giving up smoking and getting more active
  2. “Reactive” (exercise on prescription) scheme at Leisure @ Cheltenham gym. Provides 12 weeks of discounted exercise, with goal setting and reviews with an exercise instructor who is trained in motivational interviewing. Patients only currently able to access via referral from their Nurse practitioner, Physiotherapist or their GP.
  3. Concession card for reduced cost gym membership at Leisure@Cheltenham gym. Eligible groups are: unemployed, registered disabled, over 60 years of age and students in full time education
  4. Active Balance Classes - Classes for over 55's to improve balance in a supportive, sociable group. Led by a qualified specialist instructor. Ranging from seated to more mobile balance challenges.
  5. Walk Well Health Walks - A programme that aims to encourage people to be more active through walking. It has been developed with the Walking the Way to Health initiative which is supported by the British Heart Foundation and Natural England.
  6. MacMillan exercise classes - Exercise sessions for people affected by cancer: before, during and after treatment
  7. Heart to Heart- Weekly exercise classes and a range of social activities for those with cardiac issues and for their relatives. They are affiliated to the British Heart Foundation.
  8. “Be Social Winchcombe” - Gentle exercises, walking rugby, walking football, social lunch, Mindfulness group and Relaxation techniques for over 55's in Winchcombe
  9. Walking Sports
    - Walking Football - 5 or 6-a-side football at a walking pace with no running
    - Walking Netball - Netball at a walking pace with no running

Gloucester

  1. Healthy Lifestyle Services - A free service you can refer yourslf to for help with losing weight, giving up smoking and getting more active
  2. “Active on Referral” (exercise on prescription) scheme. Provides 12 weeks of discounted gym exercise, with goal setting and reviews with an exercise instructor who trained in motivational interviewing. Patients only currently able to access via referral from their nurse practitioner or their GP.
  3. Strength and Balance Classes - Classes for over 55's to improve balance in a supportive, sociable group. Led by a qualified specialist instructor. Ranging from seated to more mobile balance challenges.
  4. “The Green Gym Initiative” - The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), helping people to be more physically active through gardening.
  5. MacMillan exercise classes - Exercise sessions for people affected by cancer: before, during and after treatment
  6. Walking sports
    - Walking Rugby – lead locally by Gloucester Rugby Community, sessions in Oxstalls (Gloucester), Newent and Winchcombe
    - Walking Football - 5 or 6-a-side football at a walking pace with no running
    - Walking Netball - Netball at a walking pace with no running

Gloucestershire

For information about activity promotion schemes in other parts of Gloucestershire, please use the following links:

Mental Health

Online resources

Please visit the NHS Moodzone website for information about how to cope with common mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression

Free online courses covering low mood, stress and resiliency can be accessed at the Living Life To The Full website. Work out why you feel as you do, how to tackle problems, build confidence, get going again, feel happier, stay calm, tackle upsetting thinking and more.

Talking Therapy

If you would like to speak to somebody about symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, you can also refer yourself to the the Let's Talk service. The Lets Talk service primarily offers cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is a talking therapy that has been proven to be effective in managing anxiety and depression. You can access the service if you are aged 18 and over, and registered with a GP in Gloucestershire or Herefordshire

Apps

A full list of recommended apps for mental health can be found at the NHS Apps Library, we particularly recommend the following apps for relaxation and meditation:

  • Insight Timer: Free app with thousands of guided meditations, music meditations, talks and courses.
  • Calm: Meditation, relaxation and music traks. Some free content as well as a paid-for service
  • Headspace: Guided meditation to live mindfully. Some free content as well as a paid-for service

Local resources in Gloucestershire

A full list of services to help with Mental Health in Gloucestershire can be found at the Your Circle website. Some examples of local mental health services include:

  1. Artlift: Artlift provides art courses for people experiencing mental ill health or long term physical conditions which impact negatively on mental health.
  2. Men in Sheds: Worhshops in the Cheltenham and Gloucester for older men to meet regularly and bring a range of skills and ideas to many activities including carpentry , community projects, recycling things, repairing and painting furniture etc.
  3. Kingfisher Treasure Seeker - Social enterprise in Gloucester to help vulnerable and disadvantaged people with learning disabilities, mental health challenges and complex needs such as recovery from alcohol and drug use

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