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83 per cent of people say they exercise to lift their mood or reduce stress


HARRIET HEAL Co-founder • Up and Running


“M


ental health problems are very common, so all health club


operators will already be catering for people with these issues. However, it can increase staff confidence to offer some basic training and education in this area. When engaging with customers, talk about the holistic


benefits of exercise and how it can lift the mood and keep you steady. Don’t present exercise as a standalone treatment for depression, but as a useful tool for managing mood and energy. If you want to run specifically targeted programmes, develop


partnerships with local mental health services. As well as directing clients to you, they can offer vital support, education and mentoring. Be clear that you are offering exercise, not therapy. People may well want to talk about their problems, but there should be no pressure to do this. Confidentiality is very important: be respectful and don’t gossip afterwards. It’s important to make sessions fun and low pressure. And connect with the individual, treating them as you would anyone else. We organise progressive running programmes for women


with mental health problems (see p56). Feedback shows people are initially wary about who else will be on the course and are relieved to find it’s just normal people, like them.


” June 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


SIMON HOLLIFIELD Lecturer • The Wright Foundation


easy part. It’s the soft skills that are all- important: empathy and active listening. This is where more staff training is needed. The Wright Foundation offers a Level 4 Mental Health course for those wanting to specialise in this area. An umbrella scheme won’t work – it needs to be patient-


“W


centred. Support and flexibility are the two main things we focus on in a programme I run in Wales. We offer a whole range of activities, because different people like different things. Most mental health exercise schemes are around 15 weeks,


but ours is 45 weeks. This means that, even if people relapse – which always happens – there’s time to get them back. We usually find that, by week 25, people are able to operate in the mainstream, but we’re there if they need us. As we’re trying to avoid stigma, we don’t label the programme. Our clients are all referred by GPs or psychologists. The first


thing we do is get them into a positive pattern. If I can just get them to a centre twice a week in the first month, I’m happy. Once they’ve formed the pattern, the exercise becomes more important. There are no real rules – it’s all about individuals’ needs: give them what they need for as long as they need it.


hen working with this demographic, the exercise is the


” Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 31


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