Working with charities and healthcare professionals

Working with charities and healthcare professionals ensures everyone can access the right wellbeing content

The concept of fitness is becoming broader, and today we are much more likely to talk about physical and mental wellbeing.

Not only is wellness now central to gym operators and corporate businesses, but increasingly charities and healthcare professionals, particularly those who support niche groups of people in society, are looking at ways to combine wellbeing with their areas of expertise.

How can people living with disabilities, learning difficulties, mental health issues, caring responsibilities and the ageing population incorporate wellbeing into their daily routine when access to gyms and health clubs can often still discount the most vulnerable in our society?

It’s often reported that physical activity can help improve mental health, maintain an active and independent lifestyle and prevent falls in older age groups. Our work with charities, such as Carers UK and Parkinson’s UK, has proven that bespoke online wellbeing and exercise videos can really make a difference to these commonly excluded groups.

Carers UK research found 88% of unpaid carers don’t have the time to take part in physical activity and that unpaid carers face problems with their own health and wellbeing as a result of their caring duties.

Parkinson’s UK told us that evidence from their community suggests that physical activity can have a positive impact on symptoms, both physically and mentally, and that being active for just two and a half hours a week can help a person with Parkinson’s to manage their symptoms.

This evidence helps to explain why third sector and health organisations are increasingly looking to create their own meaningful, powerful and relatable wellbeing content that speaks directly to the people these charities and organisations support.

At 1FitLife we’re helping to do that, by creating unique content to reflect real-life experiences. When 1FitLife is creating digital content for the third sector or healthcare professionals, we are supported by physiotherapists, psychologists and personal trainers, as well as taking insights from real-life participants; it’s important for people to see themselves taking part in the exercise programme. We also know that wellbeing videos need to be achievable and realistic in order to become part of someone’s regular routine.

For example, someone with Parkinson’s may have very different needs to someone returning to exercise after pregnancy. Similarly, someone trying to improve their fitness before cancer surgery will have different needs to someone experiencing depression or mental health challenges.

Working with groups who have medical, circumstantial or mental issues is challenging yet extremely rewarding, as the results are much more meaningful.

Claire, who cares for her three daughters, all with neurological disorders, was featured in the videos we created with Carers UK. She says:

“I found fitting in physical activity more and more difficult once my caring role increased. There is so much to do with what feels like so little time in a day. It was such a privilege to take part in the filming of the videos. I loved that different fitness levels were represented, which made the videos more relatable. I also feel passionate about the importance of looking after yourself as a carer. Working out at home is so much easier to fit in to our lives. There’s no need to travel or to get cover for the person you care for. It is not weather dependent. The 15-minute videos feel manageable too. They are easily slotted in at different times of the day. You don’t need any special equipment or lots of room.”

“I was surprised by what a natural energy boost I felt doing the activity videos. My stress symptoms also improved; I felt less frustrated and tense and it gave me a sense of achievement.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all healthcare professionals and specialist charities could pinpoint the best physical activity and rehabilitation programmes for their patients through our online fitness videos?

We love what Carers UK said about us!

“Carers UK chose to work with 1FitLife because we felt they fully understood the brief, they empathised with a carer’s circumstances, and the videos put carers front and central. The partnership was collaborative, and flexible and we are very pleased with the results.”