Exercise Referral Programme
Exercise Referral Programme at Active Blackpool
At Active Blackpool, we are committed to helping as many people as possible to improve their health and wellbeing and lead more active lives.
We work with GP’s and Health Practitioners in and around Blackpool to provide a safe and welcoming environment for people with long term health conditions to become more active.
If you think this programme could be beneficial for you, we’d love to tell you more about it.
What is the Exercise Referral Programme?
Our 16 week Exercise Referral Programme is here to provide support to local residents living with long term health conditions and those who are at risk of developing them.
If this is you, our aim is to introduce physical activity into your life in the most appropriate and sustainable way. We want to support you in creating healthy habits which will have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing.
The benefits of being active…
Regular physical activity can have a positive effect not only on your physical health, but your mental health as well.
It will help you manage and control your existing conditions and can also help to prevent you from developing others.
Who can join the Exercise Referral programme?
To be eligible for the programme you must be over 16 and be registered with a general practice. You must be motivated to want to increase your physical activity levels and willing to actively engage with the referral team.
If this is you, and you are currently living with one of the following conditions, you are likely to be eligible for the Exercise Referral Programme:
Anxiety – Arthritis – Asthma – Cardiac history – Cancer – Chronic pain – Depression – Diabetes – High blood pressure – Obesity – Osteoporosis – Parkinsons – Stroke history
If you have a different health condition, you may still be eligible, just speak to your health care practitioner and they can advise if it would be suitable for you.
We may also be able to accept you as a self-referral if you are overweight without additional complications, or if you experience mild to moderate anxiety or depression. If you have other health conditions as well, we will likely need to decline your self-referral and ask for a referral from a medical professional on your behalf so we can ensure you receive safe and appropriate support.
What would your time on the Exercise Referral programme look like?
Welcome Meeting
This is your chance to see and learn everything there is to know about the programme. You’ll meet the instructor who will be supporting you throughout your time on the programme and together you’ll discuss your medical history and your goals, and your instructor will put together the first steps of your personalised plan.
Induction
Depending on your personalised plan, the first activity on the programme will likely be an induction, either in the Active Wellbeing Suite or the Gym. As well as show you how to use the equipment, your instructor will also use EGYM’s technology to get some important measurements from your body so we can track your progress.
Week’s 1 to 4
Now you’re ready to go, you can start attending the sessions and classes that your Instructor has recommended for you each week. Don’t forget to book your classes through the app or website.
Week 4 Review
Your instructor will check in with you to talk about how your first few weeks have been and discuss any obstacles you might have experienced. They’ll touch on your goals to make sure we’re heading in the right direction and maybe recommend some new activities for you.
Weeks 4 to 8
Carry on attending the sessions you’ve grown to love and add some new activities recommended by your instructor into your schedule. Staying consistent is the best way to build healthy habits.
Week 8 Review
At the mid-point of your programme, your instructor will meet you again for a chat about how you’ve been getting on and will take new biometric measurements to compare against your baseline. This will help you see the progress you’ve made and help your instructors when they are reviewing your goals and programme again.
Weeks 8 to 16
By now we’re sure you’ll be loving being more active but keeping motivated is key! If you haven’t already, add some group sessions into your programme so you can work out with new friends and encourage each other.
16 Week End Of Programme Review
It’s time to celebrate your success as we review your 16 week journey. You’ll meet with your instructor for the last time where we will take a final set of biometric measurements so we can truly see how far you’ve come. They will review all of your progress and discuss options of you to continue your health and wellbeing journey with the wider Active Blackpool team.
What activities can you take part in during the Exercise Referral programme?
We have a wide range of activities available across all three of our leisure centres that you can attend throughout your 16 week journey. Not all of them might be suitable for you, and this is something that we will discuss with you during your welcome meeting and in your programme reviews.
If your not sure what they all are, you can click on any of the links below to find out more about the different activities.
Active Wellbeing Suite
Are you not sure about the gym but still want to add a bit more activity into your life?
Then let us introduce you to the Active Wellbeing Suite.
EGYM
Would you like to find out more about what makes our gyms different from the rest?
Take a look at what we’ve got to offer and see what sets us apart.
Referral Exercise Classes
Interested in taking part in a class but want to know a bit more about them?
Check out all the classes we have to offer and give one a try.
Swimming
Do you want to swim with us but not sure which session would be best fit for you?
Check out all the different ones we offer and make a splash!
Who will be supporting you on the Exercise Referral programme?
Our specialist Exercise Referral team are on hand to help you throughout your journey by creating a safe and effective physical activity programme tailored to your needs and goals.
They’ll be there to offer support, encouragement and guidance when you need them.
How much does taking part in the Exercise Referral programme cost?
We run the exercise referral programme at a discounted rate to make it as accessible as possible for you.
There are three different ways to pay, so you can choose the one which best fits your circumstances.
- Direct Debit – £15 per month for 4 months
- Upfront Payment – £60 for 4 months
- Pay As You Go – £3.30 for each session/activity
When you successfully complete the programme, you’ll also be eligible for our lowest monthly inclusive members rate at just £19.99 a month, so you can continue to stay active on your wellbeing journey.
How do you join the Exercise Referral Programme?
If you are interested in joining the programme – which we hope you are! – we can’t wait to meet you and support you to add physical activity into your life.
If you have any of the health conditions we mentioned on this page, we’ll need you to visit your GP, Nurse, Physio or other health professional that you see and ask them to complete the referral for you – We need them to do this so we are fully aware of your health status and we can support you safely.
If you are eligible for a self-referral, just click on the link below and complete the self referral form.
In both cases, when we receive your referral, it will be assessed by the team who will then get in touch with you to arrange the appropriate next steps.