Physical activity is the perfect medicine

Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is becoming a leader in the North West in using physical activity to improve patient health and have trained GPs and nurses helping patients get more physically active.

GPs from the borough were trained last year on the latest evidence about how to use physical activity in their care to improve patients’ health and treatment. This training has now been given to practice nurses.

Just under 60 practice nurses attended the training session which was held at The Enterprise Centre in Blackburn in July.

The training was provided by Jacinta Yates who has a national role as a Public Health England Physical Activity Clinical Champion and Paul Thompson from The Wellbeing Service.

Paul Thompson said:

"The Wellbeing Service covers an exercise plan, the falls prevention programme and is based on self-referral.

It is a 12 week free programme and after that, patients can have these sessions at a minimal fee of £1 per session, which is one of the cheapest in the country. The Wellbeing Service will offer family support as well as individual."

Jacinta Yates explained that the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidance for physical activity for adults is 150 mins of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week or a combination of both, although any 10 minutes of at least moderate intensity give health benefits. Adults should also do muscle and bone strengthening activities twice a week and reduced extended periods of sitting.

She added:

"Lack of physical inactivity kills as many people as smoking in the UK. Being active reduces the risk of many conditions by up to 40%, including diabetes and dementia."