New sessions to support people in Lincolnshire to manage their joint pain and other health conditions are now available thanks to Together Fund grants distributed by Active Lincolnshire.

Geoff Moulder Leisure Complex in Boston and Leisure SK, which manages leisure centres in Grantham, Bourne and Stamford, are working with health care professionals in GP practices and hospitals to provide condition-specific, personalised programmes of activity to help people move more and feel better through ‘Good Boost’. The programmes are particularly suitable for those with a MSK (Musculoskeletal condition).

Lincolnshire has a high population of older adults and MSK conditions are the biggest driver of years lived with a disability. There is also a growing population of mothers-to-be who are facing MSK-associated pain. The Good Boost activities take place in the pool in a facilitated group session and compliment the clinical support provided through the local NHS musculoskeletal (MSK), physiotherapy and Better Births team.

Good Boost supports people to manage their joint and pain condition through individually-tailored exercise programmes delivered on a tablet. It offers personalised water and land-based exercise programmes that are beneficial for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, hip, knee and back pain, that are generated following a ten-minute digital consultation on the Good Boost app. The Bump Boost programme for mothers to be offers many benefits for pregnant women, including relieving joint aches and pains, reduced swelling due to increased blood flow and low risk of injury due to the low-impact nature of aqua exercise.

Rachel Fox from Leisure SK said:

“Good Boost provides therapeutic, personalised water and land exercise programs for fitness with a focus on specific needs and body part regions that are suitable for people with MSK conditions.

We work directly with GPs and hospitals, physios and health care professionals to support people to be more active whilst waiting for surgery and help those to recover and improve mobility following an operation. Our newest session is Bump Boost which supports mums-to-be to exercise at their own pace in the pool to help them keep active during pregnancy.”

Donna Sutton, who leads on the Active Mum’s programme at Active Lincolnshire added:

“This is a great addition to pre and postnatal activities available to pregnant women across the county. Being physically active during pregnancy brings huge evidence based health benefits including controlled blood pressure and reducing the likelihood of gestational diabetes; not to mention the secondary benefits such as improved sleep and improved mood.”

Dan Lewis from Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre commented:

“The team and I have worked around the clock to support the diverse range of fitness programs that will cater to the needs and preferences of our members and community. We believe that these Good Boost sessions will provide a positive and inclusive fitness environment but also enable individuals to achieve their health and wellness goals effectively in an enjoyable way.

“Ultimately we want to support all people to move more, have fun and feel better so they can live well.”

Watch the video to find out more about Good Boost:

The sessions at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre, and Boston Leisure Centre were supported by grants from the Together Fund which Active Lincolnshire distributed in Lincolnshire on behalf of Sport England. The investment covered the purchase of the Good Boost license which includes a full suite of water and land based MSK exercises, and tablets for people to use. The funding has also allowed for training to be provided to familiarise venue staff with the exercises and how to develop group classes that are sociable when each participant is doing their own programme through their individual tablets.