Introduction
‘HEALTH in BALANCE’ is a health promotion and educational initiative, which has been established in 1998 as a further development of prescription exercise in collaboration with general practitioners, specialist nurses, hospital consultants & physiotherapists, and other healthcare associates.
It has originated from the teaching at varieties of health promotion courses in different academic and community-based establishments in both East London and London Borough of Havering.
Each programme has a multidimensional framework, which is modified and adapted to a person’s needs, age, gender, and general health status. Its conceptual structure, analysis of the outcomes, and the feedback from both, the participants and their referring medical practitioners, testify to the benefits of the programme and the significance of preventative care methods to reduce long-term ill health effects.
Individuals can choose the method of support, which depends on the advancement and complexity of their general health status.
Our programme incorporates two dimensions of preventative care: Primary and Secondary.
Primary prevention
Aims at reducing the risk factors that lead to development of ill health, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, circulation problems, osteoporosis etc.
The risk factors include poor eating habits, overweight/ obesity, lack of exercise or prolonged immobility, smoking, alcohol misuse, excessive stress and depression etc.
With our support and guidance on making some lifestyle modifications, the risks can be greatly reduced.
Secondary prevention
Enables people with long-term illnesses, chronic pain and disabilities to cope better with their limitations, anxiety and depression that result from the contracted health conditions. Healthier lifestyles, weight control and Personal Management Plan can greatly reduce their risk factors that lead to more severe health problems.
Chronic pain can affect a person’s way of living in all aspects of life. It is frequently linked with weakness, fatigue, depression, loss of confidence and lost control, which triggers feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, and leads to the changes in individuals’ lifestyles, poor eating habits, avoidance of exercise, and limited social life. Inactivity, weight gain and dietary imbalances are often caused by a person’s long-term illness, disability or chronic pain such as in arthritis, osteoporosis, joint problems, or low back pain… that prevents individuals from leading active lifestyles. This often leads to prolonged immobility, disuse, and body deterioration, which can cause further health problems, the need for extensive medical treatment, hospitalisation and dependence.
The programme enables people both to cope better with their limitations and to enhance their optimum body functioning, which help them to resume more active way of living. This, in turn, can help them to improve and increase control of their functional abilities and to minimise the risk factors that often predispose development of more severe health complications.
The aims of the programme are consistent with the national objectives within the strategy for health outlined in the Government’s White Paper, which puts emphasis on collaborative work in health promotion and taking action to prevent illness within our communities.
Our work continues to make a significant contribution to the development of future model of health and preventative care that is based on building people’s capacity to improve and increase control of their general health, which integrates the physical, cognitive and social aspects of their health.