Fitness for life
The PCT has commissioned a programme of 6 exercise courses for people with chronic long term conditions, to be held in venues across Cornwall - please see attached for details. The programme is led and provided by qualified fitness trainers from The Core, a local company. It is a free, 20-week course for an hour and a half each week. The course content includes tailored exercises, gentle Pilates, healthy lifestyle advice and medication advice (from a community pharmacist).
'Fitness for Life' originated as the walking group for people with COPD held at the Eden Project. The success of this pilot led to the development of a more generic course for people with any chronic long term condition.
'Fitness for Life' is not a replacement for rehabilitation or therapy, it one of a range of follow-on services to help people with chronic long term conditions to self-manage, including for example the neurological fitness programme (also provided by The Core), the generic LTC pilot course (a medical model to educate and promote self-management), the Expert Patients Programme, health trainers and the activities offered by LEAP. This supports the PCT's strategic objective to help people to stay healthy and live independently and to offer a choice of local services. It also supports recent Public Health guidance around the benefits of low-level exercise in improving a person's well-being and ability to manage independently for as long as possible.
The courses are open to anyone with a chronic long term condition who is able to undertake gentle exercise. Patients will be asked to complete a short questionnaire that should be checked by their GP/other health professional before starting the course. To register your patient, please contact Rachel Murray or Beverly Yelland on 01209 888206 or via groupwise. Patients can also self-refer.