Having a personal trainer at the gym used to be the exclusive preserve of the rich and famous, but now the NHS is deploying health trainers across the region to help ordinary people turn their health around.

JOSIE is a shy, partly disabled woman who, by her own admission, has spent the last ten years of her life living a severely restricted existence. Overweight and lacking in confidence, she felt like a prisoner in her own home.

That was until NHS health trainer Elaine Glendenning knocked on her door. Elaine is one of seven health trainers who began working in some of the most deprived areas of Newcastle earlier this year.

The trainers are drawn from local communities and are given basic training in nutrition, exercise and other aspects of healthy living, such as smoking cessation. Their job is to identify individuals and groups who might benefit from support and encourage them to improve their lifestyles.

Elaine answered the call in Newcastle and after a basic healthy living training course she began working in Cruddas Park, an area of the city she knows very well.

In line with the thinking behind the NHS healthy trainers scheme, Elaine used her knowledge of the area to network and meet people. Within a few weeks she had organized a walking group for local people called Stepping Out. A healthy living group for men and an arts and craft group followed.

Through her contacts, Elaine heard about Josie's plight. A sufferer from ataxia, a little-known condition which affects the brain, Josie found it difficult to speak or walk easily.  Elaine linked up with Josie and within a few months her progress was remarkable. 

A few weeks ago Josie volunteered to speak at an event to launch NHS health trainers in Newcastle, which was attended by the woman in charge of the program, Maggie Rae from the Department of Health.

Despite being in front of an audience of around 100 people, Josie was able to speak about her experiences.  "Before I met Elaine I had spent ten years stuck in the house. I hardly ever saw anyone and I couldn't get out and about," she says.

Through a question and answer session with Elaine it emerged that Josie had made a great deal of progress. After joining an exercise class and a swimming club, her confidence has grown in leaps and bounds.

Josie has also benefited from healthy eating advice, losing almost three stones since the summer.  "She now has much more confidence and gets about with a stroller walking aid. Really, she has had a new lease of life," says Elaine. "She really doesn't need me any more."

By BARRY NELSON, Health Editor, RedOrbit

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