Swimming is great for your heart and circulation as you are using your whole body; therefore your heart has to pump blood harder than it normally would to your arms and legs.
The number of sessions depends on the activities you enrol onto. However, it is important to realise that those who manage to attend each week show the greatest improvements. Less regular attendance will result in less significant improvements.
Activities: Physical activity reviews
Physical activity reviews aim to increase individuals physical activity levels taking into consideration any existing medical conditions they may be currently suffering from.
This is undertaken in an informal 6 stage discussion:
- Examining an individuals current activity levels and their history with activity from school to present day looking at the types of activity previously undertaken and the reasons why this has stopped.
- An individuals physical activity likes, which type of activity a person would consider undertaking to increase their activity levels. This can be anything from walking to swimming to chair based activity
- Individuals physical activity dislikes, it is as important to know which activities and individuals does not want to do as it it to identify which activities they do want to do.
- Identifying barriers. Barriers are what stops us from undertaking activity they can include family commitments lack of confidence, time or pain. Once the barriers are identified measures are discussed to overcome them
- Medical history, this is important as any increase in activity may have an impact on any existing medical conditions an individual suffers from. Form this recommendations are made to the individual to consider while when exercising
- Goals and wants these are what really drives the review, goals and wants are what the individual are trying to achieve by increasing their activity and can range from increasing mobility and health wellbeing and fitness to weight loss.
The idea of the review is to help the individual to achieve their goals and wants using their physical activity likes avoiding their physical activity dislikes their barriers and medical history. Anybody requiring a review has to be referred by either their GP or other medical professional. Please note that any conditions that an individual is suffering from have to be stable and under control.
If you are a GP or other medical professional who would like to refer a patient for a physical activity review please download a referral form and return to Chris Cleator or Claire Boyd at the Health Promotion Service.
