Active for Life

Patients with long-term health conditions can now be referred to the NHS Active for Life service. This is a 12 week supported activity programme run by Zest in Sheffield, offering free community based walks.

Eligibility

Patients who lead an inactive lifestyle (less than 2 x 30 minutes of exercise per week) with at least one of the following conditions can be referred to Active for Life:

• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• mental health issues
• pulmonary disease
• obesity (BMI>30)

The programme

The programme will require patients to:

• attend 12 walks
• receive lifestyle advice (about getting active and healthy eating)
• be supported by a trained Walk Leader

Walks will be offered from a range of locations and on different days (including Saturdays) and times of the day (including evenings during Spring and Summer months).

Those patients for whom a walking programme is not appropriate may be offered a 12 week supported programme at a gym.

Referral

To refer a patient, you will need to complete and sign a referral form. Your patient will then need to present the completed referral form to Zest either via post, fax or in person.