2 January 2008

Quit and Get Fit for 2008

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is encouraging smokers to ‘Quit and Get Fit’ in 2008.

The programme has been specifically designed for those who are afraid of gaining weight when they stop smoking.

Following the success of last year’s ‘Quit and Get Fit’ programme, the Trust has teamed up once again with Craigavon Borough Council and Banbridge District Council to run the scheme for 2008.

‘Quit and Get Fit’ includes advice and support from Smoking Cessation Specialists along with free gym or swimming pool access sponsored by the Southern Tobacco Control Group.

The programme will run for eight weeks, with each weekly session lasting two hours.

Participants will receive advice on stopping smoking, healthy eating, stress management and increasing their exercise. As part of each session they will also be given time to use the gym or swimming pool.

Time and venues for the programme are:

Cascades Leisure Centre, Portadown

Tuesday 22 January – 11 March at 7pm

Waves Leisure Centre, Lurgan

Wednesday 23 January – 12 March at 12noon

Banbridge Leisure Centre

Thursday 24 January – 13 March at 8pm

Valerie Gough, Health Promotion Officer for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust says: “Weight gain is one of the main reasons people relapse when giving up smoking. This scheme recognises that physical activity can have a valuable role in helping people to manage their weight whilst trying to quit. Many of those who took part last year said they felt that the physical activity helped to motivate them and manage the tension and stress caused by giving up smoking.”

The programme is open to anyone who wants to stop smoking and to those concerned about weight gain when quitting. Places are limited so to book a place Tel: 028 3839 8235 or 028 3839 8282.

For a one-to-one smoking cessation appointment at clinics in Portadown, Lurgan, Brownlow, Moira, Banbridge and Dromore, Tel: 028 3839 8235 or 028 3839 8282.