Active Start
Learn all about our Active Start scheme, including what’s involved and how you can get started.
What is the Active Start scheme?
The Active Start scheme provides specialised, supervised exercise sessions for anyone whose fitness and health conditions can be improved by regular exercise. The scheme aims to help people get into exercise/restart after injury/ill health. The scheme runs for 12 weeks and participants need to be able to commit to at least one exercise session per week.
Who is the Active Start scheme suitable for?
It is suitable for a wide range of people and conditions, including those who may not have exercised before, or not for a very long time. Examples of conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health issues and arthritis.
What are the benefits for participants?
Many benefits are gained by taking regular exercise including improved muscle tone, strength, fitness, energy levels, mobility and flexibility, a decrease in body fat, maintenance of healthy body weight, a boost in confidence, reduced blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease, increased bone density as well as all the social/mental benefits.
What do I do? How do I start?
Firstly you will need to have a referral from a heath professional to join the scheme. Referrals can come from your GP, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Consultant etc. Once you have your referral you will then contact your local Mid Devon Leisure facility to book a consultation with a member of the fitness team.
What happens at the consultation?
With the help of your instructor, you will complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire. Measurements are taken, including blood pressure and a simple fitness test, which will be used to develop your activity programme and help you recognise your progress.
Bring along your referral paperwork, which will be issued to you by your health professional, wearing comfortable clothing suitable for moving around in, and trainers or comfortable soft sole shoes, and a water bottle. Payment and activity options will be explained at this time, and after your consultation, an appointment will be made for your first supervised session.
Your programme will take into account your fitness level and medical background, and will be based mostly in the fitness studio and set criteria for the scheme.
Mid way review
After about six weeks you will be asked to come in for a review, when we will take your blood pressure and update your exercise programme.
Final review
After about twelve weeks you will have your final assessment, which will follow a similar format to your initial consultation, focussing on how you have progressed and recommendations for the future. We encourage you to continue exercising after completing your Active Start journey so that your improvements are maintained and not lost over time.
Please note that you may only have one referral in a twelve month period.
What does the scheme cost?
Monthly and pay as you go options are available. Circumstances will be different from person to person, and this will be discussed with you at your consultation. Ask for an application form at reception if you would like to join.
Some important tips
A national fitness survey found that the majority of the population did not take enough exercise necessary to achieve benefits to their health. Mid Devon District Council and local health professionals want to improve this situation.
This scheme is being funded with the support of Mid Devon Public Health and Mid Devon Leisure services and aims to encourage people to become more active.
Exercise should be fun – we hope that you enjoy your time as an Active Start customer and that regular exercise becomes a part of your lifestyle.
- Always warm up properly before exercising
- Wear loose-fitting clothing and flat shoes
- Start gently and build up gradually
- After a heavy meal wait at least 2 hours before exercising
- Never exercise when you have a cold or feel unwell
- Ensure you cool down and stretch after exercise
- If it starts to hurt – STOP!
- The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults states that to stay healthy adults should aim to achieve at least 150 moderate/or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week (or a combination of the two).
One minute of vigorous activity = 2 minutes of moderate activity.
Adults should also complete strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). This should be your target – it may take a few weeks to get there but when you do you will feel so much better physically and mentally.
Activities can include gardening, walking, housework, DIY and so on. They do not need to be sport-related.
