New exercise app launches with backing from Sport England and ukactive
New exercise app, iPrescribe Exercise, is offering its digital health programme for free to medical rehab facilities and healthcare providers up and down the country due to them having to suspend their regular services. The aim is to help vulnerable patients with serious underlying health conditions who no longer have access to medical rehab programmes and whose conditions could worsen if they are inactive during self-isolation.
With medical rehab facilities such as cardiac and cancer rehab shut indefinitely and patients who are assessed to be clinically extremely vulnerable advised to stay at home, there is huge concern at the potential damage to their health if innovative solutions are not implemented. Physical activity can help people with serious underlying health conditions manage or improve their conditions and reduce the impact and severity of some symptoms.
To help mitigate the impact of the closures on patients, Sport England and ukactive are encouraging health organisations and medical rehab groups to consider digital solutions to help the most vulnerable in society stay active while following the government’s guidance on social distancing.
Allison Savich, Strategic Lead for Data & Market Innovation at Sport England, said: “Staying active is more important than ever right now, and it’s fantastic to see start-ups like iPrescribe Exercise finding innovative ways to support people to do this. Through our #StayInWorkOut campaign we are bringing together a fantastic variety of workouts that meet the needs of different audiences, including those with long term health conditions, to maintain their health and physical wellbeing at this crucial time.”
Developed by two British Physiotherapists, husband and wife duo Carron and Lewis Manning, who have over 40 years combined clinical practice experience, iPrescribe Exercise is a new free, medically endorsed and evidence-based app which produces personalised exercise programmes for the management or prevention of multiple chronic diseases.
Available on iOS and Android devices, it uses a unique automated algorithm to analyse user health and current fitness level, and prescribes a personalised and graduated physical activity plan to help even the most sedentary get active. The app can specifically target any combination of 20 different chronic diseases with a tailored physical activity plan.
As the country faces a major public health crisis, the duo want health professionals and organisations across the country to know they can access the iPrescribe Exercise digital programme for free to help keep their patients moving during quarantine. Offering a rich stream of real time data, the app enables health organisations to manage and track the health of their patients remotely.
A number of health organisations in the UK including Active Norfolk and the Prehab4Cancer and Recovery Programme in Greater Manchester have already signed up to the iPrescribe Exercise programme.
Ryan Hughes, Inactivity and Health Development Manager at Active Norfolk, said: “Participating in physical activity as a tool to improve physical and mental health has always been key; but in this particularly challenging time and with the withdrawal of face to face services, it has become increasingly difficult to do. Support to guide and motivate people to exercise at home has taken on a new level of significance, and tools such as the iPrescribe Exercise app provide a great resource to facilitate this. Features such as being able to tailor an exercise plan to suit an individual’s needs, around factors such as living with a long term condition, will support our more vulnerable people to build up their resilience, which is of great importance at this moment.”
Dr Harpreet Sood, a practicing NHS doctor and the Chief Medical advisor for iPrescribe Exercise who previously served as NHS England’s Associate Chief Clinical Information Officer, said: “Regular exercise can help so many health issues but until now it has been hard to give patients a personalised prescription and keep them motivated – this is particularly challenging for older adults and those living with a chronic disease. iPrescribe Exercise offers an innovative way for health professionals to prescribe a personalised activity programme, specific to their patients’ personal needs and health condition. The app creates a 12-week exercise plan based on health information entered by the user, making exercise accessible for all.”
Carron Manning, founder of iPrescribe Exercise, said: “We’re all in unchartered waters at the moment but one thing is certain – exercise to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and immune system is more important than ever. For those who already incorporate exercise as part of their daily lifestyle this shouldn’t be too challenging, with the prevalence of exercise guides available. However what about those who have a health condition and need more specialist help with fitness programmes? It is vital that they continue to exercise through quarantine. It is medically proven that people who do regular physical activity can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes as well as certain cancers*. It can also increase lifespan.”
iPrescribe Exercise has impressed professions in the health and fitness sector. Sport England have supported the project and the duo have been tenacious in their passion and belief in their project which has led to interest in supporting the launch from the World Health Organisation and the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme – amongst others.
Continuous review of the latest medical evidence on physical activity and chronic disease by iPrescribe Exercise ensures it is continually updated to optimise patient outcomes.
The iPrescribe Exercise app is available on iOS and Android devices through the App Store, Google Play and the NHS Apps Library.
For more information and to access the digital health programme, visit www.iprescribeexercise.com or email info@iprescribex.com. To join the movement, follow iPrescribe on Twitter @iPrescribe_Ex and Facebook @iPrescribeexercise
