Live Borders help deliver Health and Wellbeing in the Community

Over 90% of participants in the Get Moving with Counterweight programme have reported that their health has improved and that they feel more positive about their future. This programme is a partnership jointly funded and delivered by charity Live Borders and NHS Borders.

Get Moving with Counterweight is a free 12-month group programme which supports participants to make small changes to their diet and lifestyle, in parallel helping them to manage their weight and become more active. The programme commences with 12 dietary and behaviour change group sessions coupled with tailored exercise sessions delivered weekly at Live Borders venues. The initial 12 sessions are followed by group sessions at six, nine and 12 months.

The overarching aim of the programme is to support individuals to lose 5-10% of their body weight and to maintain it. By the end of the programme, they will have learned the skills to manage their weight for life.

Participants receive a Live Borders membership card entitling them to free access to Live Borders swimming pools, gyms, and exercise classes for the duration of the initial 12 weeks of the programme. They are entitled to discounted membership for a further 24 weeks, subject to terms and conditions.

11 groups were held across the Scottish Borders as part of the Get Moving with Counterweight programme in 2021/22, and on average, participants lost 4.6kg.

The associated mental health impact of the programme within the community was also significant with 96% of participants reporting improved mood; 86% reporting increased energy levels; and 82% reducing their social isolation by meeting new people and feeling more confident about tackling problems in their day to day lives. 75% reported getting out more and 57% said they had a more optimistic outlook.

Graeme Murdoch, Live Borders’ Active Communities Manager, said: “Live Borders provides opportunities for individuals across all of its communities to be healthier, happier, and stronger. As well as weight management through Get Moving with Counterweight, we have a number of other successful programmes, such as our exercise referral programme, which are having a huge impact on those with health conditions and helping them to transform their lives.”

Paul Williams, Associate Director of Allied Health Professionals at NHS Borders, said: “The results from the Get Moving with Counterweight programme are very positive. Becoming more physically active has the potential to improve our quality of life and has been proven to prevent and manage many long-term health conditions including strokes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Through our partnership with Live Borders, we support individuals to lose weight and create a lifelong habit which will benefit their own health and well-being.”

If you are over 18 years old with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 25 and would like to lose weight, please get in touch with the NHS Borders Weight Management Service to discuss the available support such as the Get Moving with Counterweight programme.

New referrals are now welcome for the next block of sessions and groups are held at community venues throughout the region.

For more information about the programme, including eligibility and timings, please contact the Borders Weight Management Service at Borders General Hospital:

T: 01896 827236

E: BordersWeight.ManagementTeam@borders.scot.nhs.uk. 

For more information on the NHS Borders weight management service please visit the NHS Borders’ website.