This week we bring you Part Two of The We Are Undefeatables Campaign with the intention to focus on the 11 Health Charities that work in partnership with each other. Their sole aim is to get everyone moving despite their condition. We will explore some of the medical conditions, the barriers, concerns, anxieties and of course some top tips to help you to get moving.
However, we start small and build. Of course you don’t have to have a condition that falls into one of the specific categories below to access the great resources and support that are available to you.
Full details of the Campaign and the research that comes behind the new re-launch can be found by visiting the We Are Undefeatables website or you can read The Time To Heal blog from last week which explains all the resources available and how these can be adapted. Be sure to sign up to the Supporters Hub to be updated regularly on any new initiatives or programming. All videos can be found on the Undefeatables YouTube Channel allowing you to browse through the various playlists to find the right activity for you.
Utilising this information it is then broken down in detail highlighting the key components of medication, stabilisation of medical conditions prior to exercise, key things to consider and then specific alterations that may be needed for the relevant health conditions. Then resources which may already be in place or developed specifically for this Campaign. This can be very reassuring to people with the condition but also family, friends, colleagues and sports coaches/instructors. By increasing knowledge in all of these groups and understanding what works, helps and provides confidence that an individual is following clear guidance and ensuring they take the appropriate precautions can only help to build accessible exercise and sports activity fo everyone involved in the process.
Many of the participation represented by this programme are viewed as Extremely Clinically Vulnerable. With shielding confirmed by gov.uk to be ending on the 1 April a mix of excitement and trepidation must be felt for these groups and the specific advice required is essential.
Asthma UK
People often forget how dangerous asthma can be and so it is crucial that exercise is well managed with medication and inhalers ready to use and in date. Clearly, the level of asthma from mild to moderate, or severe will impact on the starting point. Asthma UK exercise page includes a whole range of advice including walking, tai chi and strength and flex. They even advocate Adventure Sports once everything is under control! From mountaineering to sky Diving, bungee jumping and scuba diving, there's clear step by step guidance to managing your asthma as you fly! They even have a FaceBook Page for Park Runs specifically for those with asthma. You can request to join this group here. Read the stories of Paula Radcliffe and Karen Pickering who have achieved an exceptionally high level in their respective sports. Clearly not everyone wants or is able to reach that level but helpful as guidance to what safe controlled exercise can be achieved.
British Lung Foundation
Sticking with lungs the British Lung Foundation covers the full range of respiratory illness. The Support Page shows the full range of Lung Conditions including a list regarding Children and great advice about living with these conditions. Ranging from COPD to Cystic Fibrosis, Cancers and Tuberculosis. It covers some hugely important issues like air pollution, diet, mental health, breathlessness, nutrition, hot weather and cold weather. Additional factors that it’s important to consider when beginning to exercise, increase or try something new.
Breast Cancer Now
Breast Cancer Now is there to support right from how to check your breasts properly to diagnosis, treatment and moving forward beyond treatment. One crucial factor with Breast Cancer is that many people don’t feel unwell, so the step from finding a lump, to diagnosis onto invasive treatment can make for a rocky road. Exercise During & After Treatment explores surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy with specific considerations such as bone strength, reactions to chlorine whilst having radiotherapy and where you are most at risk of picking up germs and bugs whilst the immune system is weaker. Get Moving After Breast Cancer is a set of exercises from Lizzy that are a great start. Meet Jackie shares a great story through a number of video diaries about building fitness, injury concerns, setting goals and exercising with friends.
Alzheimer’s Society
The Alzheimer's Society provides information for both those with the Dementia and importantly for carers. They even have a great guide for coaches/instructors Dementia-friendly sport and physical activity. A one page guide can be ordered here which highlights the basics that organisations can implement. Something key to consider here is that the society emphasise that by making the environment Dementia friendly you can simultaneously support many other people with LTHC’s. Theres a great case study of an initiative from the Worchester Sports Cafe. Here, people with Dementia, their families and carers can come together and participate in activities both for physical and mental health.(CORONA restrictions obviously affect this currently).
Versus Arthritis
Versus Arthritis is a really handy page which breaks down exercises into specific joints. So no matter which areas of your body are affected you can find something practical as a starting guide to build the strength you need and support your mobility. Easily transferable to any joint conditions. For example Shoulder Exercises takes you though a series of exercises, with clear easy to follow pictures and descriptions. There is a great Virtual Chatline where you can ask questions about;
Different types of arthritis
Symptoms
Exercise
Pain management
Treatment, including medication
Stroke Association
The Stroke Association homepage is broken down into easy sections including why to exercise after a stroke, moving everyday, setting manageable goals, worries about exercises and even a guidebook called Getting Active After A Stroke which you can download as a PDF or Word document. The Association has teamed up with a group called A Stroke of Luck and has produced a very specific 12week exercise programme. The company specialising in stroke/exercise recovery. An introductory video shows how the programme works within three different groups; Red group is for people with limited mobility, Amber group is for those with some mobility and the Green group is for people who are independently mobile. Theres a great video for carers and under each group a set of clear guidelines, followed by the 12 weekly videos which are available here (on the site) covering different areas of the body each week as well as relaxation, fine motor skills and co-ordination/balance.
Parkinson’s UK
Parkinson's UK strongly advocate the importance of exercise for people with Parkinson’s through the production of their Exercising At Home Toolkit. This includes exercises into three different levels;
Low Intensity
Mid Intensity
High Intensity
Choose your level based on your current activity levels and then experience an unusual set of videos. To help improve your balance you can try Qigong, Nordic Pole walking and dynamic balance.
MS Society
In the main section of the MS Society activity support pages you will find; MS and exercise, simple workout videos, Yoga and MS, exercise for symptoms and pilates and MS. Moving More With MS is a great place to start your physical journey. It has some fantastic tips that are specific to those with MS but also provides a much better range of activity ideas and considerations. Heat is something to be very careful of and a whole section is devoted to this showcasing how it can cause Uhthoff’s phenomenon. This is where the heat and humidity can cause difficulty in your brain relaying messages to your body. Although this isn’t a reason not to exercise, simple suggestions to combat this is to use things like ice drinks, cooling sprays or even ice jackets. This advice would apply to many people with LTHC’s. Putting this in practice for say swimmers, is to ensure that pools should be no warmer than 29degrees.
Diabetes UK
Those with Diabetes have been hit hard by the pandemic and Diabetes UK is a great support mechanism. Many people with Diabetes have been shielding and so many won’t have left the house for a significant amount of time. The Corona News Page highlights everything that you need to know. In terms of exercise this is seen as a positive step highlighting small victories and recognising that your condition is unpredictable and therefore making it difficult to know when, where and how to get active. There is very specific advice about sugar levels, caring for your feet and what to consider if you have complications with your eyes and heart. You can download a free Moving More Guide and they even have a One Million Step event sponsored by FitBit. This involves taking one million steps in three months from July to September. Not only is this a chance to challenge yourself and help your health but it’s also a fundraising event to support others, with lots of training tips and planners as well as some rewards!
More General Support
Although Age UK and MacMillan Cancer Support are not completely specific to one medical condition/illness they do have their set audiences and are absolutely crucial in the support of some of the most Vulnerable people in the UK.
Age UK report that;
‘Our bodies were made to move. It's a myth that getting older means an end to being active. We can help you to keep moving, whatever your age’.(https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/exercise/)
Taking this into consideration they have a programme set out with the following options;
People who are not active at all
People who want to be Active but don’t know where to start
People who want to help others to get active.
Although not exercise related they also offer key advice on pensions, befriending services, local Age Concern groups, support as lockdown lifts and neighbourly volunteering opportunities. So supporting all round physical, mental and social support.
MacMillan Cancer Support is without doubt one of the most important support networks that you can find, sadly through personal experience we can only advocate to the highest level what a vital role this charity provides to millions of people across the country every single day. They touch your lives and selflessly support families in desperate need of comfort, guidance, support and direction. But they are more than just the nurses. For example In terms of exercise you may think that living with cancer it’s off limits but that’s not the case.The Move More, Becoming More Active Guide which consists of a downloadable guide and a wall chart has some simple activities to get you started. If you sign up then you can also get yourself a DVD, along with many other resources.
There’s support for those approaching end of life but they also support those who are concerned about Cancer, have full details on the Corona Virus, support through diagnosis and treatment, not to mention their part in research for new treatments and cures.
You can contact the We Are Undefeatables Campaign team directly at;
We Are Undefeatables - Home Page
Supporters Hub Sign Up
YouTube Channel
Asthma UK
Adventure Sports
Asthma UK Park Run Facebook Page For Those With Asthma
British Lung Foundation
Support For you
Breast Cancer Now
Exercises to help get you moving after Breast Cancer
Building Exercise into Your Day After Breast Cancer
Exercise During Treatment
Patient Stories - Meet Jackie
Alzheimer’s Society
Guide To Dementia Friendly Sport and Activity
Dementia Friendly Activity
Case Study
Versus Arthritis
Exercises For Shoulders
Virtual Chatline
Stroke Association - Getting Moving After a Stroke
Downloadable guide - Getting Active After A Stroke
Exercise Programme Video Link - A Stroke of Luck
Parkinson’s UK
Home Exercise Toolkit
MS Society
Moving More With MS Booklet
Diabetes UK
Coronavirus Shielding Information
Moving More Guide
One Million Steps
Age UK
MacMillan Cancer Support
Register Here - DVD Order
Becoming More Active Guide
Coming next week;
Mental Health is extremely important to consider for anyone, but for those with LTHC’s and/or disabilities symptoms can be closely connected with stress, change and uncertainty. Therefore, Time To Heal have updated their Mental Health page in line with the amazing resources produced by The Royal Voluntary Service, Rethink Mental Illness and MIND. All three work closely with The Undefeatables Campaign which we have been focused on this month.
The Royal Voluntary Service have also played a huge part in striving to support those in need through CORONA Virus and in connection with The Samaritans to bring in The NHS Responders Programme.
We’ll browse over a few ideas but head to the Time To Heal - Mental Health Resources page for more information and some great links, tips and opportunities.