Healthy Lifestyles & Weight Management
Health and wellbeing resources to empower you to lead a healthier lifestyle
If you’re considering any healthy tweaks you would like to make in your life, there is support available to do so.
Being physically active and eating a healthy balanced diet are important for not only our physical health, but also our emotional and mental health, therefore, we have put together Health and Wellbeing ideas to support and empower you to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Weigh to Go
Weigh to Go is NHS Lanarkshire’s free 15-week weight management group, followed by 15-weeks of Weigh to Go Maintenance, held within various North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire leisure venues.
The programme is coordinated in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and can be attended by all residents aged 16+ who want to lead a healthier lifestyle. Healthy Valleys, Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership and Getting Better Together Shotts are now holding Weigh to Go within the community, giving residents even more classes and venues to pick from.
Healthy Valleys, The Old Schoolhouse, Healthy n Happy, and Getting Better Together Shotts are now holding Weigh to Go within the community, giving residents even more classes and venues to pick from.
Weigh to Go Digital
Residents can now take part in Weigh to Go from home with new digital sessions. Pick between North Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and Getting Better Together Shotts who are offering these new classes.
Health Walks
Get Walking Lanarkshire offers a programme of free health walks across North and South Lanarkshire, from Cumbernauld to Biggar and from East Kilbride to Newarthill (and many places in between.)
Health Walks are a great way to meet new people whilst walking at your own pace. It’s exercise with the added bonus of friendly company, a good chat and fresh air!
The walks are for everyone, but are specifically designed to encourage those that would benefit from becoming (more) active to give walking a go. The routes are simple and avoid tricky terrain and all walks have wheelchair friendly and buggy friendly route options.
Booking is essential – book your slot here!
Explore your favourite local Lanarkshire walks
NHS Lanarkshire and Get Outdoors Lanarkshire have joined forces with the walking app Go Jauntly to make spending time outdoors a little bit easier. The free, community-based walking app promotes walking for leisure and nature connection and is a fabulous way to discover local walks created by those who know and love them.
The app also highlights the greenest routes for local walking journeys or a place to note the positive things seen in everyday nature, which research shows can help alleviate anxiety.
Healthy Weight Tips and Advice
Being physically active and eating a healthy balanced diet are important for not only our physical health, but also our emotional and mental health.
The NHS Lanarkshire weight management team has developed a new section of the NHS Lanarkshire website. Including information on adult healthy weight, child and young person healthy weight, diet & nutrition, physical activity, mental health and green health, it’s packed with top tips and advice to support people of all ages who wish to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Eating Well for Less
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best.
It also doesn’t have to be expensive, have a look through some top tips to eat well for less:
- Buy frozen or canned fruit/vegetables, they have the same amount of nutrients as fresh products. If buying canned fruit, try and avoid those in syrup
- Cook with pulses- aim to bulk out dishes with these protein-rich foods and give your body and wallet a boost. For example, swapping out half the meat in chilli or bolognese for lentils
- Freeze leftovers to eat at a later date
- Fruits and vegetables taste best when they’re in season and it’s also when they’re cheapest
- Plan your meals and try writing out a shopping list so you’re only picking up what you need
- If possible, you could order shopping online for delivery- it’ll help stop you from picking up extras
- Try cheaper brands (do a blind taste test with the family to see if you can tell the difference, it could be fun!)
- Look out for “yellow sticker bargains” at the shops- check for fresh items that you’d eat on the day or can freeze
For healthy recipe ideas, information on different food groups, as well as tips for eating on a budget, visit Eat Well and LWMS Diet & Nutrition support for more information.
12 Week free weight management programme
This 12 week step-by-step programme supports you to review your current lifestyle and make healthier behaviour choices, that then become daily habits.
Each week is made up of a number of sections covering different topics. Many of these have links to further information and activities.
You will also:
- find tips from people who have gone through a similar health and wellbeing journey
- be asked to undertake weekly tasks, like completing a lifestyle diary, checking food labels or planning your meals for the week
This free 12-week plan requires no previous exercise or nutrition experience, and includes a body mass index (BMI) calculator to find out if the programme is right for you. It’s great for those that are taking their first steps to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Find out more about the 12 week weight management programme.
Every Move Counts
Physical activity plays a role for people of all ages, to continue to lead a healthier lifestyle.
There are many short and long term benefits of being physically active, even if you’re just starting out or if you have been physically active for a long period of time.
The health benefits linked to being more physically active are well proven, and the good news is that every move counts.
Lanarkshire Outdoor Gyms & Green Spaces
Green Health
Research shows that spending time outdoors and connecting with nature plays an important role in improving our overall mental health and wellbeing.
There are lots of greenspace facilities and activities across Lanarkshire including Calderglen Country Park, Chatelherault Country Park, Lanark Loch and more!
Check out more information and ideas for how you can explore the outdoors.
Working from home
If you are working from home or just finding yourself sitting more, try breaking up your time spent being inactive by standing and walking around your house every 30 minutes or whenever you’re on the phone.
Remember to take time for yourself, taking a moment to think about your day can help to support you and allow you to switch your attention to home.
You could also try a fake commute. Walking, cycling, listening to music before and after work helps create a divide between work and home life, as well as an opportunity to be active.
NHS Lanarkshire Staff
If you’re an NHS Lanarkshire staff member and are looking for support to be more physically active, including walking and cycling, there is support from NHS Lanarkshire:
Sustainability - staff information
You can review all NHS Lanarkshire’s sustainability initiatives as well other relevant information and resources, including the vision for new Net-Zero hospital, Eco Star awards, and a podcast on COP26 and sustainability,
Staff Care and Wellbeing leaflet
The Staff Care & Wellbeing service seeks to build resilience and enhance wellbeing through:
- provision of regular wellbeing focused classes and events
- promoting wellbeing information
- 1:1 active listening
- peer support
- group support
- and a variety of training courses
For more information, you can view their leaflet on First Port.
Active Travel
Free Bike Loans
NHS Lanarkshire, GBT Shotts and Paths for All are continuing to supply NHSL staff with free access to more e-bikes.
The project has relaunched and there are now an additional 18 Dawes Arc 2 folding e-bikes are on offer for bands 2-5 and student nurses. Staff within these bandings can take advantage of a free 30-day loan and thereafter, there is a cost per month of £20 for loan of an e-bike.
All staff on other bandings can also sign up to access a free, 30-day loan for these e-bikes, however, there is a waiting list.
Cycle Friendly Employer Accreditations
Both Hairmyres and Wishaw Hospitals have been awarded Cycle Friendly Employer status.
Awarded by Cycling Scotland, the nation’s cycling organisation, for our commitment to make it easier for more people to cycle. The Cycling Friendly Employer Award recognises workplaces across Scotland for their commitment to making it easier for more people to enjoy the benefits of cycling.
Travel improvements at Wishaw Hospital – including new pedestrian walkways, safer crossings and improved signage throughout the site. Similar work is planned at Hairmyres Hospital and designs are being drawn up for smaller sites.
Cycle to Work Scheme
If you’re looking to purchase a bike, you can save up to a third of the cost of a new bike through this salary sacrifice scheme.
The cost will be spread over either one or four years, paid in monthly instalments straight out of your salary, pre-tax. This Cycle to Work scheme might enable you to buy something you’d never have considered before – like an e-bike or a folding bike! There’s a really simple calculator if you decide roughly how much you want to spend – and it also includes bike accessories such as helmets, bike locks, lights, panniers etc.
If you’re interested, visit Cycle Scheme for more information.
You can also view the guide Cycle Scheme video. Or view FAQs.
