Football fitness programme to support cardiac patients

Cardiac patients in the Inverness area are being invited to join a healthy living initiative run by one of the north’s biggest football teams.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust is joining forces with the University of the Highlands and Islands and NHS Highland to offer Football Fans in Training to people who are recovering from heart attacks or surgery.

Football Fans in Training is a national initiative which is already run at many of Scotland’s top football clubs, but which has never been specifically offered to cardiac patients before. The free, 13-week programme will include advice and support on physical activity, diet and weight loss and researchers will work with participants to evaluate the initiative. If it is a success, it is hoped the programme could become an integral part of cardiac rehabilitation services in the future.

Heart disease is recognised as Scotland’s single biggest killer, responsible for nearly 7000 deaths every year. However, medical advances have helped to significantly reduce death rates, with seven out of ten patients now expected to survive a heart attack. As a result, there are around 135,000 survivors in Scotland who require rehabilitation support. While research shows that exercise is the best therapy to prevent repeat heart attacks or cardiac surgery, up to 50% of patients fail to fully engage with physical activity programmes. Programmes such as Football Fans in Training aim to address this issue.

Professor Steve Leslie, Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for Cardiac Rehabilitation at NHS Highland, explains: “We are very excited that this opportunity has become available for local patients. Increasing physical activity is a key part of recovery after a cardiac event and football is a fun and sociable way to exercise.”

Health researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands will be evaluating the outcomes of the programme. Professor Trish Gorely from the university’s department of nursing and midwifery, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to see whether a highly successful lifestyle programme can help those who have had a heart attack. It’s really exciting to bring together NHS Highland, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust in a project that we hope will improve the health and wellbeing of patients who have suffered heart attacks.”

Craig Masterton, Head of Community at Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust, added: “Building our local partnerships and using the pull of football to ensure we can access and benefit the local community is at the heart of everything we do. We are delighted to have the opportunity to engage with those who have suffered cardiac events and we are positive we can help influence their recovery with a path back to exercise and health.”

The latest Football Fans in Training programme will start on Monday 31 May. Anyone who has been referred to cardiac rehabilitation is invited to find out more by contacting Craig Masterton on 07754 609 425 or by emailing craig.masterton@icttrust.org.uk