As well as helping us to avoid illness, having a healthy lifestyle can give us more energy, lift our mood, help us sleep better, feel less tired and stressed, and boost our confidence too. Small changes to our lifestyles now can improve our health right away and it is never too late to start.
The NHS ‘One You’ website features a wide range of tips and support to help you make simple changes towards a longer and happier life including eating well, moving more, being smoke free, drinking less, stressing less and sleeping better.
You can also take the free ‘How are You?’ health quiz to see how you score and start your journey to a healthier you.
If you’re looking to make a healthy lifestyle change, you don’t have to go it alone. Read on for information about local support to help you achieve your health goals.
In this section you will find information about:
- Making Connections
- NHS Health Checks
- Stop Smoking service
- Help to drink less
- Help to manage your weight
- Ways to get active
If you know you should be keeping more socially or physically active and don’t know where to start or would like someone to take you through your options and support you through realising your personal goals, then get in touch by calling Making Connections on 01252 815652 or e-mail NEHFCCG.MakingConnections@nhs.net. Making Connections is open to anyone aged 18+ who is registered with one of the GP surgeries in the North East Hampshire and Farnham area.
If you're aged 40 to 74 you may be eligible for a free NHS Health Check.
It's a great way to check your health and get personalised advice on keeping yourself healthy and active. Think of it as your health MOT.
Get more information about NHS Health Checks and find out about Health Checks in Hampshire.
Quit4Life is your local NHS Stop Smoking Service, offering free friendly help and professional support. You can refer yourself to the Service by calling 01252 335 120 or email quit4life@nhs.net, or ask your GP or any health professional for a referral. If you really want to stop smoking, the evidence shows smokers who attend Quit4Life sessions are up to four times more likely to succeed than those who try to quit by willpower alone. Sessions are free, open to everyone and are run by professional smoking cessation advisers, who can give out free stop smoking medication.
Don't bottle it up is an online tool that lets you work out how much alcohol you drink and how this affects your health. It also offers free, confidential advice and information on local support. On average, the test should take a couple of minutes to complete and give you an individual score that identifies how risky your drinking is.
If you’re concerned about your drinking, Inclusion Recovery Hampshire provides a range of services for anyone aged 18 and over living around the Aldershot area, using drugs and/or alcohol or experiencing any of the problems that are associated with its use.
Hampshire 24/7 (provided by Catch22) offers confidential and non-judgemental support to young people aged under 18-years-old regarding the use of alcohol and drugs.
For top tips, tools to cut down, and information about other support visit the One You website.
If you’re aged 16 and over and have a BMI of 30+ you can access 12 weeks of FREE support from WW (previously Weight Watchers). Find out what your BMI is. To access the service call 0345 602 7068 quoting WWRS095 or visit the website. Find your local Weight Watchers meetings.
If you're aged 18 and over and have a BMI of 25+, you can access the POWeR online weight management programme. This evidence based programme provides advice on diet and physical activity, as well as helping you to develop self-regulation skills to help you change your behaviour in the long-term.
We all know that being active is good for our health but sometimes it can feel like we don’t have the time or don’t know where to start. Being active can be whatever you want it to be. As long as it gets your heart beating a bit faster and makes you breathe a bit harder, it counts.
Here are some suggestions to help you get active in Hart:
Active 10 - a brisk 10 minute walk every day is a great excuse to get outside and improve your health. Brisk walking is simply walking quicker than usual at a pace that gets your heart pumping. Start with a 10 minute brisk walk a day and then see if you can gradually build up to more. Download the Active 10 app.
Hart Countryside - Whether you are looking for somewhere to take a walk, would like to take part in a guided walk or join a volunteer group, Hart’s open spaces have something for you.
Leisure Centre's – Everyone Active Hart Leisure Centre and Everyone Active Frogmore Leisure Centre offer a wide range of facilities and group activities for the whole family.
A range of concessionary memberships are available at both leisure centres: Members with disabilities are entitled to free gym and swim and half price sports courses, group exercise classes and membership. Armed forces personnel and fulltime carers are also offered free gym and swim, half price sports courses and membership. People in receipt of job seekers allowance are entitled to free gym and swim and half price sports courses.
The Exercise Referral scheme available at Frogmore Leisure Centre is a tailor-made package of exercise sessions specifically for those with health problems. Activities include Gym based activities and Group exercise activities at Frogmore Leisure Centre and swimming and some Group exercise activities at Hart Leisure Centre. For more information call 01252 873454.
Steady and Strong – Community exercise classes aimed at improving stability and strength to help prevent falls. Specifically aimed at people who are having trouble with their balance and walking. Find a class near you and exercises you can do at home here.
Health Walks – These free walks are open to adults of all ages and fitness levels. Walks last between 50-60 minutes. One short weekly walk is also available. Find your nearest walk, or for more information call 01252 815652 or email admin@hartvolaction.org.uk.
Walking football - Think of 5 or 6 aside football and then imagine playing it, not running, but walking. Add in the absence of robust tackling and you’ll have a good idea of Walking Football, the rapidly growing sport for both men and women mainly in the over 50 age group. The sport is ideal to both improve physical wellbeing and make new friends. Local club Fleet of Foot meets weekly at Hart Leisure Centre and welcomes new members. Email Robin Howard at robglen37@yahoo.co.uk or contact the leisure centre on 01252 629 879 for information. Yateley Utd FC Walking Football Group can be contacted by email jsaunders51@icloud.com or phone 07475 502627.
Couch 2 5K – Designed to get you off the couch and running in 9 weeks by gently mixing walking and running. Download the One You Couch 2 5K app on the App Store or Google Play to get started on your own Couch 2 5K journey. If you’d like a bit of friendly support and encouragement why not join a local beginners group where you’ll be supported to go at your own pace with a gentle mix of walking and running.
Cycling – There are a number of cycling groups and clubs in Hart.
Breeze rides – British Cycling’s Breeze programme encourages more women to get on their bikes by providing led cycle rides of various levels. 
Cycling clubs – The Fleet Cycling website can help you find information about cycling clubs in Hart.
For more ideas on ways to be active visit the Energise Me website.
