A PIONEERING programme that helps people with medical conditions recover their fitness and wellbeing through exercise has been praised by the city’s Lead Councillor for Leisure.

Exercise referral classes, held at the Isca Centre and Riverside Leisure Centre, are designed for people who have experienced medical conditions and have been referred by their GP or health practitioner to aid their recovery through exercise.

Through the initiative, Exeter Leisure’s Exercise Referral Instructors devise personalised programmes to support individuals with a wide range of conditions, including heart attacks and cancer.

Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure Services and Healthy Living, attended a session at the Isca Centre to learn more about the scheme.

As part of the Exercise Referral Scheme, Cardiac Rehab and Heart Failure classes are held at the Isca Centre in partnership with the NHS to assist in the rehabilitation of patients recovering from a cardiac event.

Cllr Wood said: “Due to the risk category of these classes, they are usually run in a hospital setting, so we are thrilled that the NHS has entrusted us not only to assist in running these classes but also to host them at our sites.

“Once a patient has completed their Cardiac Rehab Phase III, they can then move on to Exeter Leisure’s Cardiac Rehab Phase IV.

“The uptake of patients continuing to Phase IV has been brilliant, with many also choosing to take out an Exeter Leisure membership and continue exercising at the Isca Centre.”

He added: “It is a privilege for us to be part of the process of helping the residents of Exeter recover from a cardiac event and to work closely with the fantastic staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. We have even been fortunate enough to have cardiology consultants come and observe some of our sessions.”

Referral instructors, led by Graham Small, specialise in improving the quality of life of each participant, whether they are recovering from major episodes such as a heart attack or cancer, or have mobility issues affecting their ability to perform everyday tasks.

Rebecca Chawner, Lead Cardiology Nurse Specialist, said: “We relocated our Phase III Cardiac Rehab classes from the hospital gym to the Isca Centre.

“We decided on this change of venue so that we could utilise Graham and Rob’s exercise expertise in assisting us with running these classes.

“Having Graham and Rob assist us has been invaluable. They both have a wealth of knowledge in exercise prescription and delivery.”

Geoff, who went through the scheme after suffering a heart attack and is now a volunteer, said: “Having been through the programme myself, I can see the real benefits it has, and it is great to see others progress and return to good health.

“It was a big help to me, and I wanted to give something back, so that is why I started to volunteer and pass on the knowledge I have to others.”

If anyone feels they would benefit from joining the scheme, they should speak to their GP or healthcare practitioner about a referral.

For more details about the programme, email: [email protected] .