Physio aims to make exercise accessible

Joanne Ginley

THE principal physiotherapist at a West Yorkshire health trust is to encourage staff and service users to improve their health and mental wellbeing by taking regular exercise.

The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and learning disability services to the people of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

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In her new role, Margaret Freeburn, principal physiotherapist at the Trust, has been appointed by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and will be encouraging people to increase their levels of physical activity as part of the CSP’s Move for Health campaign.

Move for Health is in support of the Department of Health’s Change4Life campaign and it is now her responsibility to get people across the Trust up and moving in whatever way they can.

She said: “I hope in this new role I can make exercise more accessible across the Trust and help staff and service users realise that there are different types of exercise to suit everybody’s needs.

“Even if someone has a physical restriction, exercise can be adapted to their needs and limitations, so there’s no excuse not to get up and go.”

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Her ideas to get people moving include a Nordic walking group, which works a number of core muscles at the same time as legs and arms.

Physiotherapists recommend that adults exercise at moderate intensity for thirty minutes, five times a week, but this could be broken up into three or four smaller chunks.

Just being a little more active throughout the day can benefit a person’s health. Exercise can be something as simple as walking to the shop for a pint of milk.

Everyone can benefit from being more active and building a little more physical activity into their daily lives.

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Health experts say being active can help people prevent or manage over 20 medical conditions including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity, as well as improving mental well being.

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