Prescription To Get Active: February 2014

Monday, February 24, 2014

The Edmonton and area Primary Care Networks (PCNs) have partnered with local recreation facilities in a unique venture where local family physicians and their health care teams prescribe physical activity to patients who would benefit from increased activity.

In addition to utilizing partner recreation facilities, the Prescription to Get Active program encourages participants to engage in activity such as using community trails for walking, running and biking, public tennis courts, boating clubs, outdoor fitness parks, local ski hills, cross country skiing trails, mall walking and at-home programs as ways to get active. See the Prescription to Get Active website for ideas on how to participate.

With each “Prescription to Get Active”, PCN health professionals are able to prescribe the amount of activity you need to help improve your health and prevent disease. The participating facilities are supporting you by providing certain services when you bring a prescription to them. It might be a tour, some free access passes or a free month of access to their facility.

The participating recreation facilities include the following organizations. All offer a tour and orientation. Some may offer additional access passes. For specific details, please see our website for information on what each participating facility is offering.

• Arctic Spas Recreation Complex
• Ardrossan Recreation Complex
• Aqua-Fit Centre
• Castle Downs Family YMCA
• Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre
• Devon Total Fitness
• Don Wheaton Family YMCA
• Dow Centennial Centre
• Glen Allan Recreation Complex
• Jamie Platz Family YMCA
• Kinsmen Sports Centre
• Leduc Recreation Centre
• MacEwan University Sport and Wellness
• Mill Woods Recreation Centre
• Millennium Place
• Servus Credit Union Place
• Saville Community Recreation Centre
• Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre
• TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre
• William Lutsky Family YMCA

There is no time limit for when you choose to use your prescription. However, when you do use it for the first time, the facility will keep the prescription in exchange for the services they provide. The same prescription cannot be used more than once.

www.prescriptiontogetactive.com

Prescription to Get Active

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network has partnered with local municipalities in a unique venture where local family physicians prescribe physical activity to patients who they feel would benefit from increased activity.

With each "Prescription to Get Active", doctors are able to prescribe the intensity, duration and frequency of activity a patient is required to undertake to help prevent future medical issues such as heart and lung conditions and diabetes.

Regular physical exercise has been shown to improve health and quality of life, as well as significantly reducing the risks of chronic disease, disability and premature death.

In addition to local recreation facility opportunities, there are many free, outdoor locations in our region where the community can participate in increasing activity.

To learn more about this program, click here.

Click the link to go to our health blog Health in a Minute. Your Health, Your Team.