Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust has announced that due to the success of the scheme in Wolverhampton it would continue to fund swim sessions until the end of March 2011.

Councillor Matt Holdcroft, council cabinet member for leisure and culture told the BBC, the scheme had been “massively popular”.

He said: “Thousands of youngsters and older people have signed up for free swimming passes since the scheme was launched in April and this extension will enable many more people to take advantage of the initiative and improve their health at the same time.”

Free swimming sessions are available for the under 16′s and over 60′s at Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre, Planetary Road, Wednesfield.

Following our introduction and part 1 earlier this week, here’s part 2 of…

Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success (part 1) by John Russell

Step Four: Reward Yourself!

Have you set a goal to go out walking five times this week and achieved it? Great, reward yourself…

Did you want to avoid eating any puddings this week and achieved it? Great, then reward yourself!

Here’s a list of potential gifts to get you started, why not add your own:

• A Book, CD or DVD
• Get some new workout clothes
• Go to watch a movie
• Go bowling
• Have a day away
• Have a relaxing bath
• Go for a walk
• Watch your favourite TV programme
• Have your friends round
• [Insert Your Reward Here]

Step Five: Still Finding is Hard?

With that all said, if you’re still finding it hard, help is at hand. The Wolverhampton Health Trainers are here to support, guide and motivate you to success.  It’s a free and confidential service available to people over the age of 16 who live, work or have a GP registered in Wolverhampton. Health Trainers see you on a 1:1 basis to help you make a lifestyle change in one of the following areas:

• Physical Activity
• Healthily Eating
• Weight Loss
• Reducing Alcohol
• Stopping Smoking

Step Six: Contact Us

If you’d like your own health trainer email healthtrainers@wolvespct.nhs.uk  or call on 0800 073 4242. To visit the Health Trainer website click here.

Good luck!

John Russell, Health Trainer

http://www.twitter.com/healthtrainers

This post if the first of two this week covering John’s “Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success” – today we’ll cover steps 1-3, with 4-6 following later in the week.

Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success (part 1) by John Russell

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s pretty hard to motivate ourselves. We all have those days when we’re super motivated, we feel like we can do anything. We go to the gym with a spring in our step and resist that chocolate cake as if it wasn’t there. Then there are those other days where everything goes, well… wrong.

Assuming you need to lose weight, what is it that keeps us motivated? For some people it’s all about health reasons, for others it’s about being able to play with their kids or grandchildren, or looking and feeling better… everyone’s reasons are different.

Before you start, take 30 seconds now to think about what’s motivating you to lose weight.

Ready? Okay, let’s get into it.

Step One: Set Yourself a Weight Loss Goal.

It may sound silly, but most people don’t know what they want, all they know is that they don’t want what they’ve got right now!

So what do you want? To lose one stone? Two stone? More? Make it specific, realistic, achievable and time based. Below is an example of an unrealistic goal…

“I will lose three stone by next month”

If you’re losing weight, target yourself to lose 1 – 2 lbs (pounds) per week. Based on this you could expect to lose anywhere between four and eight pounds a month. This means you can realistically look to lose up to a stone every two to three months! This might not sound a lot, but if you lost 1llb a week starting from today, this time next year you’d be almost four stones lighter. It all adds up.

This means your Ideal Goal might look something like this…

“I will lose one stone by 1st November 2010” or…

“I will lose one stone in the next 60 days”

We call this goal your “Main” Goal or your “General Goal”.

Step Two: Set Yourself Mini Goals.

A “Mini Goal” is a smaller goal you use to achieve your “Main Goal”. First of all you need to know what you’re going to do, for example a mini goal might look like this.

“I will exercise at least 5 times a week”

Why not make it more specific by saying where you’re going to do it, who (if anyone) else you’re going to do it with and when you’re going do it and for how long for example:

“I will exercise for at least 30 minutes a day on at least 5 times a week by walking around the park with my colleague Karen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday immediately after work”.

Try it with yourself and apply it to your own situations.

Step Three: Keep a Diary.

Keeping a written record of your Mini Goals and knowing how close you are to achieving your Main Goal is a great motivational tool.

A diary will also help you to keep track of how successful you’ve been in the past.

Keep your diary in a visible place, this will keep your goals in the forefront of your brain! Some common places to keep your diary include, your bag, on your notice board, or on the kitchen counter.

Check back later in the week for the next instalment and you want to make sure you don’t miss it, you can sign up for Wv11.co.uk email notifications here.

]]> http://www.wv11.co.uk/2010/08/18/six-short-steps-to-weight-loss-success-part-1/feed/ 2 http://www.wv11.co.uk/2010/08/16/introducing-john-russell-health-trainer/ http://www.wv11.co.uk/2010/08/16/introducing-john-russell-health-trainer/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:00:25 +0000 James http://www.wv11.co.uk/?p=2484 Whilst attending the recent Wednesfield Community Fayre at Wednesfield High, Wv11.co.uk bumped into NHS health trainer John Russell.

John was very interested in the website and offered to write a monthly(ish) column with tips on getting fit and staying healthy.

Although this won’t appeal to everyone, we’re pretty sure there’s a few people out there (ourselves included!) who would welcome some handy tips on getting fit and most importantly, motivating yourself to get fit!

So this week we’ll be bringing you John Russell’s “Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success”.

Check back later in the week for the first instalment, with the second one following shortly after.

The applicant (Mr H.S. Gill) has requested a change of use of the ground floor from retail (Use Class A1) to a dental surgery (Use Class D1).

View the full application here.

For the eighth successive year members of the public will be able to have a quick health check whilst they are out shopping in Wednesfield for free.

The City’s Rotary Clubs will be out again on the next two Saturdays offering simple health checks.

On Saturday 1st May Wednesfield Rotary Club will have their gazebo in Wednesfield High Street between 9.30am and 3.30pm whilst on the 8th May the other clubs are setting up in the Piazza of the Wulfrun Centre from 9.00am until 4.00pm. This exercise is carried out in conjunction with the Stroke Team of the Wolverhampton NHS Trust, West Park Rehabilitation Centre and the city’s Coronary After Care Group.

The health-checks undertaken will include blood pressures, pulse, blood sugar, heights weights and BMI scores and lifestyle advice will be available on exercise, diet, smoking and alcohol.

At last year’s corresponding events over 700 people were tested and a number were referred to their doctor, some as a matter of urgency. It is certain that this year, once again, there will be a goodly number of shoppers who will have reason to be pleased that they interrupted their shopping to have a quick health check.

Dr Amar Das Gupta, a local GP and Wednesfield member said: “I hope people will stop by our stand again this year, it only takes a few minutes and could save lives. High Blood Pressure is often a silent killer which shows no symptoms. Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure is the number one cause of avoidable strokes.

For every ten people who die from strokes, four could have been saved if they had arranged regular blood pressure checks and then followed medical advice. The are 300,000 people living with the effects of stroke in England and Wales and more than 130,000 people suffer their first stroke each year. Stroke is one of the country’s biggest killers and the single greatest cause of adult disability.”

Source: Rotary Club of Wednesfield

If after a couple of months of 2010 you’re still struggling to shed those extra Christmas pounds and are looking for a way of losing weight, why not try the local Weight Watchers club?

Local Weight Watchers meetings:

Wednesfield
Every Monday 5.45pm
Community Centre, Alfred Squire Road, WV11 1XU

Ashmore Park
Every Wednesday 5.30pm & 6.45pm
St Albans Church Hall, Griffiths Drive, WV11 2LJ

For more information contact Beverley on 07739 968 678 or bev_ww@yahoo.co.uk or visit the Facebook page.

As reported in the Express and Star today, a new bus route is set to begin running next week that links two of the regions main hospitals.

The 549 bus service will take passengers between Walsall Manor Hospital and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

The half-hourly service which begins on Monday will start from St Paul’s Street in Walsall, calling at both hospitals and travel via Bentley and Wednesfield, then on to Wolverhampton city centre.

The service will be run by commercial operator Midland and extra buses will be introduced to cover the route, which will operate Mondays to Saturdays between 8am and 6pm.

West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, Centro chairman Councillor Gary Clarke, said: “This new service is excellent news for local people by providing affordable and easy transport to two of the region’s main hospitals from major residential areas.

“This will be a major benefit to all people living along the route, but especially elderly people and those with limited mobility by making it easier than ever to access the hospital, attend appointments or visit family and friends.”

A single journey bus ticket will cost £1.70 and the free National Concessionary Travel Pass for passengers over 60, eligible blind and disabled people will be accepted.

Midland managing director David Reeves said: “We realised that there was no easy way of travelling from Wednesfield into Walsall, from Pool Hayes into Wolverhampton or between the two hospitals without having to change buses.

“We’re delighted to provide the new 549 service which will fill those gaps in the network and provide a fast link between Walsall and Wolverhampton too.”

For next week only, fares will cost of £1 for adults and 50p for children.

The lines are set to be painted opposite the main entrance to the hospital on Wolverhampton Road and stretch for around a quarter of a mile towards Wednesfield and the junction with Graiseley Lane.

Sauce will curry favour with Jan
Birmingham Mail – 4th January 2010

Man held after chase
Express & Star – 5th January 2010

Jobs axed at Cardboard factory
Express & Star – 7th January 2010

Speeder caught 13 times at same spot
Express & Star – 8th January 2010

Defrosting car taken in seconds
Express & Star – 8th January 2010

Coppice Performing Arts School are looking for a new head teacher
Wolverhampton.gov.uk – Jan 2010