Women's Wellness is a programme designed to support women to become more active and to have a greater understanding of both the physical and mental health benefits that being active can bring. We work with GP surgeries to identify women who would benefit from this support, as well as working with local leisure providers to tailor a 6 week programme of different activities.

Courses across the County follow a similar structure. Each week, the group meet for 1.5 hours, half the session is dedicated to trying a new activity such as yoga or dance while the second half a well-being topic is discussed over a cup of tea, such as relaxation or nutrition. The sessions are relaxed and informal, and aim to break down any barriers there may be for participating in activity. Courses are currently free at the point of access for participants.

Funding for this programme has been received from Somerset County Council and Somerset Skills & Learning.

'I really liked the 50/50 split, discussion/learning about health related issue and trying new activities.'

'I want to say thank you for being my support and you were such a huge part of me getting my health and confidence back. I made some great friends and overcame my fear of socialising with ordinary people, the classes were great fun, learning about health was always interesting and never a chore. You helped me believe I can achieve things I never thought I could. I have moved back home and I have a job in a hotel kitchen, my family are so happy and of course I've joined the leisure centre!'

'All the teachers we had - their attitude was great. They made you feel good and no-one was treated any differently.'

'Thank you very much for this course, it has been an absolute pleasure and very motivating.'

'I most enjoyed meeting new people from different backgrounds. I benefited from socialising and understanding other people's lives better. I really enjoyed the group, thank you.'

'The course was brilliant! Thank you very much, it's opened my world.'

'I've just joined as a member at LED, my GP did a referral which was really helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed the Women's Wellness programme. It got me to push my boundaries, try new things and helped me get through a difficult few weeks. I'm already feeling the benefits of the extra exercise!'

'I absolutely loved learning about classes for all ages and meeting other people.'

For information about physical activity and the benefits on mental health please click here. Other resources and handouts can be found below.

Useful Websites:

• Change 4 Life
• British Heart Foundation Healthy Eating Toolkit

Useful Apps:

• MyFitnessPal (Nutrition and Exercise)
• Couch to 5k (Running and Exercise)
• Squeezy (Pelvic Floor)