Active Exercise Referral Programme

If you have a health condition, we understand you might not feel up to being active every day, and you may be worried about doing more harm than good. NL Active’s exercise referral qualified Health & Wellbeing Activators can support you to become more active in a way that suits your individual needs to improve your health through our Exercise Referral Programme.

The NL Active Exercise Referral Programme is designed to help you develop the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to improve your health and wellbeing through one-to-one assessments, individually tailored activity plans, and ongoing support from your assigned Health & Wellbeing Activator. You can be referred onto the Exercise Referral Pathway by a healthcare practitioner, or you can self-refer into the programme by emailing referral@northlincs.gov.uk.

The Exercise Referral Programme is split in to three phases, all 12-weeks long. Phase one costs £27.50, phase two costs £50, and phase 3 £60.

Please see below for the inclusion / exclusion criteria. Please note that we consider each case individually, so if you don’t meet the inclusion criteria, please still get in touch with us so we can assess your needs.

Inclusion criteria

• Stable Type 1/ Type 2 diabetes
• BMI 30.0  to 39.9 with or without CHD risk factors
• Hypertension 9 (diagnosed and stable less than 180/100mmHg prior to referral)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Asthma
• Mild to moderate depression / anxiety
• Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stroke at least 3 months post event and after rehabilitation
• Impaired strength / mobility / surgical prep or recovery
• Fibromyalgia
• MS
• Parkinson’s / Huntington’s / Dementia
• Chronic knee pain and aged 40+
• Chronic hip pain and aged 40+
• HBA1C of 42-47 mmol / mol
• Either going through or recovering from cancer rehabilitation
• Long covid
• Stable, controlled coronary heart disease, including angina. The following cardiac patients will be accepted onto the scheme upon completion of phase IV cardiac rehabilitation:
  • Post acute cardiac myocardial infarction
  • Post revascularisation (CABG and angioplasty)
  • Post interventional procedures – valve replacements, transplant, ICD’s etc
  • Stable heart failure and cardiomyopathy, including medication controlled

Exclusion criteria

• BMI less than 18.5kg/m2
• Any unstable medical condition
• Blood pressure more than 180/100mmHg
• Resting heart rate more than 100bpm
• Previous myocardial infarction
• Chronic respiratory failure and / or in in need of some domiciliary non-invasive ventilation
• Active retinal haemorrhage
• Uncontrolled exercise induced asthma
• Severe mental health state
• A recent significant change in a resting ECG, recent myocardial infarction or other acute cardiac event (less than 3-months post revascularisation or 6-months post surgery)
• Unstable or acute heart failure. Unstable or uncontrolled arrhythmias, uncontrolled resting tachycardia greater than 100bpm
• Stroke in the last 3 months
• Neuromuscular, musculoskeletal or rheumatoid disorders exacerbated by exercise

NL Active Health & Wellbeing Activators are exercise referral qualified with additional certification in:

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• MSK
• Long covid
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Mental health
• Obesity and weight management
• Long term neurological conditions

Feedback from customers

“I feel much fitter and happier. Stacey has helped me feel safe. I wouldn’t have gone to a gym before this, and now I go on my own. It has helped me physically and mentally and I look forward to the classes”

“It has given me more confidence and has helped my mental health as the company is essential to me as I live on my own. Also, I feel better for coming as it helps my disability. Without coming here I would be less able to move about. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done”

“Every day is now better for me. I get up in a morning with a purpose and I look forward to the gym. I can walk further without being breathless and I can even manage stairs. The benefits are numerous – I feel 100% better than I did six months ago. The support I get is first class”

“The Exercise Referral Programme has encouraged me to exercise a lot with lots of support from all the staff involved. At the beginning I was struggling to walk due to being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right knee, but by doing Good Boost regularly and being encouraged by staff, my mobility is so much better. I’ve now started walking on the treadmill and I’m able to walk so much further without being in pain. If I hadn’t joined the Exercise Referral Programme I would have been in a bad situation. I’ve always liked to go out, but my knee was stopping me. Now I can do so much more walking and I can get out more”

For more information email referral@northlincs.gov.uk.