Health & Wellbeing of Adults Newsletter January 2024
Make Everyday Active
Everyday Active was launched in 2020 following extensive community consultation and engagement by Active Kent & Medway. The website everydayactivekent.org.uk is central to the campaign and highlights the wide range of inclusive and accessible opportunities that are available across the county, for anyone looking to start moving more in their everyday life.
Getting Active and Staying Safe
Are you thinking about getting active or is someone you know looking for a new activity to add to their daily or weekly routine?
How do you make sure a club or activity provider is safe and right for you if you don’t know much about them?
We’ve compiled four top tips around getting active and staying safe. Everyone should feel welcomed, happy, valued, respected and confident to speak up when attending a new club or activity session.
Read more about staying safe when getting active
Boxing with Parkinson's
Active Kent & Medway is committed to reducing the inequalities gap in sport and physical activity for disabled people and people with long term health conditions. We caught up with Chris and Barry, who are living with Parkinson’s, attending a community BoxFit session in Folkestone delivered by TKO Folkestone. The sessions were funded by Active Kent & Medway and Sport England.
Hear how the sessions are helping Chris and Barry to keep active and make new friends in a safe and friendly environment.
Empower Badminton
Empower Badminton is developing grassroots para-badminton across England.
Founding partner, Canterbury Kings Badminton Club, is committed to increasing awareness of disability badminton in Kent. They run pay and play sessions for disabled adults and juniors, suitable for all levels, including those with no playing experience.
Empower Badminton are running a series of taster sessions, encouraging adults and young people aged 16+ with a physical disability to ‘come and try’ para-badminton.
The next taster session in Kent is Sunday 24 March 2024 at The Kings School Recreation Centre, Canterbury. To book your place or for more information please email play@empowerbadminton.org.
Free Everyday Active Workshop
The Everyday Active Workshop is for anyone wanting to improve their knowledge and understanding of the benefits of physical activity, to feel confident about having conversations with others to help get more people, more active across Kent and Medway.
Our next free online workshop is taking place on Thursday 14 March 2024, 13:00 – 14:30. All are welcome to attend.
“It reminded me how important it is to talk about physical activity and it’s motivated me to do more myself.”
Spotlight On Menopause and Movement
Every woman’s experience of perimenopause and menopause is different, but evidence shows that physical activity can help women manage and cope better with their symptoms.
Our Spotlight on: Menopause and Movement looks at some of the common signs and symptoms of menopause, the benefits of movement and keeping active and some useful resources that offer support for women going through this key life stage. We hope you find the information of interest.
Make Healthier Choices
One You Kent
‘Healthy changes start with little changes’ – that’s the message from the Better Health campaign, which is being supported by One You Kent services to help people to lose weight and get active. Kent residents who are facing increasing health issues from poor key lifestyle behaviours, including inactivity and unhealthy eating, along with smoking and drinking too much alcohol, could be seeing short and long term effects on their emotional and physical health.
One You Kent can help you lose weight and get active with lots of free tools and support. You can also try the ‘How are You?’ quiz, access the Easy Meals app or the Active 10 app, find a local health walk and access the NHS 12-week diet and exercise plan, plus a referral form to speak to a One You Kent advisor.
Follow this link to One You Kent
A Better Medway
A Better Medway provides specialist support and advice as well as programmes and resources to help people living or working in Medway to improve their health and well-being.
Whether you’re looking to quit smoking, improve your mental health, lose weight, get active, find substance misuse support, and/or check your overall health, the Better Medway Team can help.
Fun and Moving
Fun and Moving is an on demand health and wellness platform with videos covering Rehab, Balance, Memory Care and Functional Movement through Dance, Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates.
There are just under 1,200 routines and 420 content hours ranging from five to forty-three minutes in length. There are three levels in every category, starting from a bed, chair or standing.
All routines have been created by certified trainers and have been studied and approved by a licensed Doctor, a Physical Therapist, and an Occupational Therapist.
Cycling UK Workplace Guide
When it comes to climate change and staff wellbeing, your organisation can lead the way by becoming a ‘Cycle Friendly Employer’.
Not only does integrating cycling into your business reduce driving, but commuters who cycle to work are healthier, happier and more productive.
Cycling UK initiatives include ‘Dr Bike’ sessions for bike maintenance, cycling facilities, LED cycle rides, and tips on how to communicate cycle schemes to staff. They can provide information, support and funding to workplaces to encourage staff to safely cycle to and from their workplace.
Active Practice Charter
Congratulations to Charing Practice, the first GP surgery in Kent to be awarded the ‘Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) Active Practice Charter’.
The charter demonstrates a commitment to increase physical activity levels in both patients and staff and to be part of an active community. Being active has been proven to reduce the risk of premature death, reduce social isolation and improve immunity to flu and Covid among other illnesses.
The Charing Practice have adopted several great initiatives, including gardening and walking groups, becoming a parkrun practice, having a standing area in the waiting room to reduce sedentary behaviour, and developing a ‘Live Well Love Life’ page on their website to signpost patients to appropriate activities.
Other News & Announcements
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