Health and Wellbeing

A healthy lifestyle can mean a longer and happier life. The biggest benefit you can make to your health is to stop smoking. With a healthy diet and exercise and you will feel physically and mentally better. Even small changes can make a huge difference in your quality of life.

smoking Smoking

Smoking can cause a wide range of illnesses including emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia but can also be a cause of wrinkles, stained teeth and bad breath (smokers get three times more cavities than non-smokers) and when you catch a cold it’s more likely to last longer.

Once you’ve stopped smoking you’ll be able to breath easier, feel fitter and have more money to spend on things you enjoy.
alcohol Alcohol

Studies have shown that drinking small amounts of alcohol such as red wine can be beneficial. But drinking too much can cause serious health problems such as cancer, liver disease, pancreatitis and stroke and increases your weight.

Guidelines recommend that women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units daily (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) and that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units daily (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer).
diet Diet and exercise

Having a bad diet and a lack of exercise can lead to you being overweight which can lead to serious health problems. One major condition caused by being overweight is the risk of coronary heart disease where a substance called plaque builds up in your heart blocking the arteries causing angina or heart attack. It can also high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high levels of bad cholesterol, cancer, gallstones and more.

By eating a balanced diet, five a day and a doing a minimum of 30 minutes of physical exercise per day you could be well on the way to a healthier life.

Getting physical doesn’t mean going to the gym, sweating on a treadmill or playing for your pub team on a wintery weekend. Basically, it’s any movement that makes you feel warm and slightly out of breath. Someone who’s unfit or overweight may only have to walk up a slope to get this feeling, whereas an athlete can run quite fast before noticing it. Physical activity includes a range of movement, from competitive sport and exercise to active hobbies, walking, cycling or household activities, such as housework and DIY. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do.

See lots more information over at nhs.uk/Livewell

Here are some more helpful links.

CHILDREN

  • Change4Life
    The way we live nowadays means a lot of us, including our kids, have fallen into unhelpful habits. This means all of us to need to make small changes to eat well, move more, and live longer. Change4Life is about making changes for a better healthier life.
  • More Life
    We deliver weight management and health improvement programmes to individuals, families, local communities and within workplaces. Our team is serious about supporting individuals, families and communities to help them achieve their healthy lives. We know that the issue of obesity is not going away and if we don’t tackle it now, we will pay with our lives later.

SMOKING

  • Peterborough Stop Smoking Service
    No one says it’s easy to stop smoking, but you don’t have to face it alone. Stopping smoking will improve your health and save you money. Around 114,000 people are killed by smoking in the UK each year, that’s a city the size of Cambridge. It will also protect the health of your friends, family and those close to you. Selected local pharmacies and GPs also provide stop smoking services.Tel: 0800 376 56 55

FITNESS

Manor Farm Community Centre: Eye community centre has a wide range of healthy events:

      • Sequence Dancing – Based on the standard ballroom and Latin dances, including waltz, quickstep, foxtrot, rumba etc. However, everyone dances the same 16 bar routine together.
      • Line Dancing – line dance is choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time.
      • Keep fit classes.
      • Weight Watchers – At Weight Watchers you will learn to control cravings, eat well and keep full, lose weight and keep it off.
  •  Gyms
    • Fitness Station: 363 Dogsthorpe Rd, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. PE1 3RE. A wide range of cardiovascular and resistance machines, fully equipped weights room, boxing facilities and a group training studio. From £22.99 per month.
    • Kinetica Gym: Bishops Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5BW. Open to all ages and abilities offering a range of cardiovascular and strength equipment for you to improve your fitness and work towards a healthier lifestyle. Includes free swimming, Hydro Health Suite. From £27 per month but you also have to pay for parking.
    • Bannatyne’s Health Club: Bannatyne’s Health Club, Papyrus Road, Werrington, Peterborough, PE4 5HW. A luxury club, although the most expensive in this list. You will enjoy not just a gym but a lifestyle experience, we aim to tailor our service to your needs. So whether it’s to lose weight, train for a marathon or just to meet new people we know we can help you. You can work out or simply relax in our pool area or maybe enjoy a treatment in a Sensory and Hairdressers. Joining incurs a cost of £100, and a monthly cost of £50, if you cancel you need to pay a holding charge every month to keep you place available or you will need to pay the joining fee again if you start again.

HEALTH

  • Dental
    Eye Dental Care, 62 High Street, Eye, Peterborough, Cambs, PE6 7UY. Telephone: 01733 222826Taking care of your teeth is a job for life. Dentists recommend brushing for two minutes twice a day and flossing daily to avoid the build-up of plaque that can lead to gum disease. Bad oral health cannot only lead to bad breath but gum disease and teeth loss. If you’re not registered with a dentist and you need emergency work you can access the Dental Access Centre at 5 Midgate, Peterborough. You will need to make an appointment by calling 01733 295854. Out of hours, you can call 01223 471798.
  • Self-care
    For wear and tear, minor trips, and everything between, choose self-care. Keep a stock of plaster and antiseptic cream available. Every home should at least have a first aid kit which you can buy from as little as £5.
  • 111
    • NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. Telephone: 111. Web: 111. Call 111 if:
      • you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
      • you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
      • you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call
      • you need health information or reassurance about what to do next.
  • Pharmacy
    • For common colds, sickly stomachs, and everything between choose a pharmacist. Your local pharmacy provides expert advice on common health problems and the best medicines to treat them.
      • Boots, 21 High Street, Eye, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE6 7UP.
        Telephone: 01733 222125
      • Sainsbury’s 112 Oxney Road, Peterborough, PE1 5NG.
        Telephone 01733 897766
  • GP
    • For medical advice, examinations or an illness or injury that require prescriptions.
      • Thorney Medical Practice – Laurel Farm Medical Centre, High Street, Eye, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE6 7UX Telephone: 01733 222282
  • A&E
    • For symptoms of serious illnesses and major accidents, choose A&E or 999. A&E and 999 are emergency services that should only be used when people are badly injured or life-threatening.
      • Dial 999 in an emergency.