Everyone Active has launched the UK’s first Active Wellbeing Suite. The new studio will help improve health inequalities in Middlesbrough by supporting active ageing and local residents with long-term conditions.

Developed in conjunction with Innerva, the new facility at the Neptune Centre utilises the company’s power-assisted exercise equipment to empower individuals to improve their fitness and strength in a supportive and social environment.

“We’re extremely proud to launch this Active Wellbeing site, it is great news for physical activity in Middlesbrough,” said Rebecca Phillips, Everyone Active strategic lead – health and wellbeing.

“The installation of Innerva equipment at the Neptune Centre will help us to further support the local community to live healthier and happier lives. Our aim is to help people of all ages, including those with long-term health conditions to be active, in line with our Community Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which provides the cornerstone for everything we do.”

Middlesbrough is one of the 20 per cent most deprived districts in England. The health of people in Middlesbrough is generally worse than the English average with life expectancy for both men and women lower than the English average.

Everyone Active is working with its local health partners to establish regular use of the suite with key user groups.

Pauline Cofinas, Everyone Active’s contract health & wellbeing manager - Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, has secured funding to refer patients who are waiting for planned care such as knee and hip replacements into the Active Wellbeing Suite.

She is also working with the Public Health England Specialist Activity Team to set up regular bookings for those with Parkinson’s, MS, Neurodivergence and long term conditions.

In addition, Teesside Ability Support Group – which provides a day service for adults with physical disability and other health conditions – will have regular sessions in the suite to support its clients.

This is Everyone Active’s eighth power-assisted exercise studio, and the first in the UK to utilise Innerva’s Active Wellbeing brand-in-the-box solution.

Developed to support operators to promote active ageing in their communities, the solution provides all the branded assets needed for a power-assisted facility.

Everyone Active is adopting the Active Wellbeing brand at other studios in line with its vision to provide place-based, resident-led solutions that increase physical activity and reduce social isolation.

At The Neptune Centre, Everyone Active has converted a former meeting room to house the Active Wellbeing Suite, which comprises a circuit of 10 machines, each targeting a specific muscle group.

The power assistance nature of the equipment means users don’t have to rely solely on their muscles to complete the exercises. They can determine how much assistance they need and reduce this as their fitness and strength improves.

A circuit is typically completed in 30 to 40 minutes offering users a comprehensive and efficient exercise session. Everyone Active has introduced a dedicated membership for the new suite. Members can take part in guided sessions hosted by a member of staff or use their facility for their own training.

The new facility is designed for people with reduced mobility and those who are affected by long-term health conditions. It caters for a wide range of needs and conditions, including mobility limitations, obesity, high blood pressure, back pain and joint problems. Individuals with various health conditions such as strokes, MS, ME, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, arthritis and more can also benefit from the suite.

The studio will also help foster a sense of community and emotional wellbeing by providing a welcoming space for individuals to connect, make friends and enjoy a supportive environment.

Everyone Active and Innerva are partnering with UK Research and Innovation to explore the challenges older adults face in accessing physical activity and how public sector leisure providers can successfully engage with this market.

As the UK’s first trial site, the Active Wellbeing Suite will test the latest innovations in power-assisted equipment over the next 12 months providing valuable insight from an operator and end-user perspective.

Jon Hymus, managing director of Innerva, said: “The new Active Wellbeing Suite at the Neptune Centre is another example of how Everyone Active is leading the way in providing inclusive health and wellbeing solutions that directly respond to the needs of local communities.

“As part of the UKRI trial, we’ll work with Everyone Active to drive innovations even further so we can encourage even more people to be physically active,”