When you join our Exercise Referral Service, the sessions available to you will depend on why you joined the service and your medical condition. If you have a higher level of risk from exercise, we might limit you to supervised activity for your safety.
Some services are provided by Better under their Healthwise banner. The subsidised prescriptive exercise programme includes gym and pool access, alongside specific studio classes.
Other sessions are available through our Healthy You Plus programme. Level 3 or 4 exercise professionals with all necessary relevant qualifications run the sessions for us.
The cost of sessions is subsidised. Current costs are:
- Healthwise pay-as-you-go gym activity: £5 per session
- Healthwise monthly membership (access to gym, pool and selected classes): £26.50 paid by Direct Debit
- Healthy You Plus community classes: £4.40 per session or £20 for five classes
- Online courses: free
To find out what services are available to you, complete the online triage form or contact us.
Current services
Healthwise sessions
These sessions are provided by Better. They take place at:
Activities vary at each location, but can include:
- prescriptive gym-based activity for independent exercise
- recreational swimming (without instruction)
- gym-based cardiac rehabilitation groups
Healthy You Plus: Start-up classes
Start-up classes are for people beginning regular exercise. They are available to participants with a wide range of medical conditions, including people who use walking aids or are in wheelchairs. The sessions are delivered in a circuit-based or studio-based style.
- Tuesdays, 1.15 to 2.15pm at Meadows Community Centre
- Thursdays, 1.35 to 2.35pm at Chesterton Sports Centre
Healthy You Plus: Maintenance classes
These classes are designed as the ‘next step’ for people who have completed a programme of activity with the Exercise Referral Service. They are also suitable for people who require a starting point to exercise at a higher intensity than the start-up classes. The classes are most recommended to participants who do not need to use a walking aid. They are delivered in a circuit-based or studio-based style.
- Mondays, 11.05am to 12.05pm at Chesterton Sports Centre
- Thursdays, 2.35 to 3.35pm at Chesterton Sports Centre
- Thursdays, 7.15 to 8.15pm at Nightingale Pavilion
- Fridays, 10.30 to 11.30am at Hills Road Sports Centre
Healthy You Plus: Cardiac rehabilitation classes
Cardiac rehabilitation classes are ideally suited to people who have attended a recent course of phase IV clinical rehabilitation. They will also suit anybody who wants to return to or begin exercise following a historic cardiac event or procedure.
- Tuesdays, 4.45 to 5.45pm at Abbey Sports Centre (provided by Healthwise)
- Tuesdays, 6.30 to 7.30pm at Abbey Sports Centre (provided by Healthwise)
- Thursdays, 3 to 4pm at Chesterton Sports Centre
Healthy You Plus: Cancer rehabilitation classes
This class is for anybody who is living with and beyond cancer and is considered clinically stable to begin a programme of activity. The class is gym-based and ideally suited to anybody struggling with the ill-effects of treatment, such as muscle wasting or fatigue, and looking to return to regular activity.
- Thursdays, 10 to 11am at Hills Road Sports and Tennis Centre
Healthy You Plus: Online courses and classes
These free courses are available to access online at any time. They are suitable for anybody who is clinically safe to exercise unsupervised and ideal for people who struggle to attend in-person classes.
The library of courses currently includes:
- Lower back pain course
- Long-term condition circuit course
- Hip and knee strengthening course
- Upper body strengthening class
- Pilates class
- Yoga class
