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It’s now widely agreed that ‘nature is good for you’, so it makes sense for doctors to prescribe activities that take place outdoors.
GPs, nurses and physiotherapists in many parts of Scotland already prescribe physical activity for a range of health conditions. These ‘exercise referral schemes’ usually focus on indoor activities, such as swimming or going to the gym. ‘Green prescription schemes’ take it a step further, with
health professionals able to prescribe or refer patients to exercise outdoors. There are lots of existing outdoor green exercise schemes in Scotland that could be suitable for green prescription. Many of these are group based (for instance walking
groups, green gyms, gardening projects) and take place in the local community. They’re supported through a range of organisations such as Paths to Health, Trellis and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. People get the chance to take part in enjoyable outdoor physical activity, and at the same time they can learn more about their local area and meet new people. This can also help to reduce feelings of being socially isolated and not knowing anyone. NHS Health Scotland and SNH funded research earlier
this year to find out more about the green prescription schemes that already exist in Scotland. The researchers looked at the number of green exercise schemes that aim to improve health, where they are and how they link in with health professionals. The study came up with over 170 green exercise schemes in Scotland, and 94 of them completed an online survey about their work. The 94 schemes are very diverse, not only in terms of
size and what they provide, but also the health conditions they cater for and whether health professionals are involved.
www.snh.gov.uk 57
The target population is most commonly deskbound people and the general population, although a quarter of the schemes target people with mental health problems. For example, ‘Branching Out’ (a conservation scheme) and ‘Pedal Forth’ (a cycling scheme) are both referral schemes run for this group. There are two main ways that the schemes link up with
health professionals. Firstly, some green exercise projects are directly involved with established exercise referral schemes. For example, ‘West Lothian on the Move’ is an exercise referral scheme that includes the option for people to walk with a group. The other link-up between schemes and health professionals comes through directly communicating and working with them. ‘Walk Deeside’ works with doctors and others to provide walks to support a range of health conditions, including diabetes and dementia. And ‘Galloway Strollers’ is another example of a scheme that has a referral method in place. Although there are many success stories, some of the
schemes had difficulties convincing health professionals that outdoor activities were safe and really would benefit patients. And health professionals are busy people, who may forget to refer patients on to the activities. Indeed, there’s lots of scope for health professionals to increase the numbers of patients that they refer, and the scheme organisers are keen for this to happen. The full report is available from www.healthscotland. com/documents/
4225.aspx and SNH has also published a series of health and natural heritage case studies at
www.snh.gov.uk/about-snh/what-we-do/health-and- wellbeing/healthier-scotland/green-exercise-projects
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