Sowe Valley Lifestyle Clinic
Do you want to make changes to your lifestyle?
Want help with that journey?
Want to be part of a free local community to help you achieve our goals?
Then this clinic will be perfect for you! Based at Forum Health Centre we will be giving you up to date information on how you can use your lifestyle to help prevent and treat a wide range of physical and mental health conditions. It is open to all patients registered with a Sowe Valley GP surgery.
We have been granted funding by local charity, ‘Think Active’, to provide group support to people wishing to improve their health through exercise and lifestyle change.
As a network of GP practices called Sowe Valley Primary Care Network (PCN), we have chosen to dedicate the lifestyle group sessions to help people who have pre-diabetes or diabetes and wish to improve their lifestyle and lose weight. (Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25)
If you want help losing weight but also wish to boost your health with diet, exercise, sleep, community and stress management tools you’ve come to the right place!
These sessions are free to people who are eligible and who book a place
Am I eligible to sign up for the lifestyle group?
If you have a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 25 and you have diabetes or pre-diabetes and are a patient registered to the following GP surgeries within ‘Sowe Valley Primary Care Network (PCN)’ then YES you are eligible!
Surgeries include: Copesewood Medical Centre, Forum Health Centre, Kenyon Medical Centres, Mansfield Medical Centre, Torcross Avenue Surgery, Walsgrave Health Centre, Willenhall Oak Medical Centre, Willenhall Primary Care Centre and Wood End Health Centre.
Who is running the group sessions?
The group sessions have been developed and are being run by our Health Coach Pranay Deo and members of the Forum clinical team.
Pranay is a local health adn wellbeing coach with a specialist interest in Lifestyle Medicine and psychological therapy.
Other local experts including nutrition and fitness coaches and specialist nurses will also be helping to run the sessions.
What is lifestyle medicine?
The group sessions are based on principles of Lifestyle Medicine.
Lifestyle medicine involves finding ways to change your diet, exercise, sleep, stress management and other lifestyle habits to improve your health without the need for additional medications.
This may reduce your risk of or improve the nature of a number of chronic medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, being overweight or having chronic inflammation, tiredness and pain.
Where are the groups based?
Meeting Room, Forum Health Centre, 1A Farren Road, Coventry, CV2 5EP
The groups are being held in the meeting room on the first floor (lift available).
How long are the sessions, what time do they start and on what dates?
Sessions last for 1hr15mins with 45 minutes aimed towards group discussion and teaching about healthy lifestyle change. 30 minutes is dedicated to light and fun exercise, tailored to anyone’s ability, usually a short walk around Caludon Castle Park.
Evening sessions run from 7:15pm on Mondays and lunchtime sessions from 12:15pm on Thursdays.
The groups are scheduled to run on the following dates below:
Thursday Lunchtimes
Cohort 1) 18th January, 25th January and 1st February (Thursday Lunchtimes at 12:15pm)
Cohort 2) 22nd February, 29th February and 7th March (Thursday lunchtimes at 12:15pm)
Monday Evenings (FIRST SESSION via PHONE)
Cohort 1) 15th January, 22nd January, 29th January and 5th February (Monday Evenings at 7:15pm)
Cohort 2) 12th February, 19th February, 26th February and 4th March (Monday Evenings at 7:15pm)
Please arrive 5 minutes before the session to allow us to start on time.
How do I book a place?
If you wish to sign up, you will need to be available for each of the dates within your chosen group.
Places are booked via the online form at the end of the page. If you have any queries or need any support please email becky.severs@nhs.net
What will I learn during each of the sessions?
The sessions are non-judgmental and relaxed. One of our main rules is 'be kind to yourself'. We all have good & bad days and making lifestyle changes can be really hard! We look forward to welcoming you to one of our sessions.
Session 1: Introduction, Behaviour, Community & Hurdles
In this session, we explore how our behaviours are influenced strongly by our lifestyle & vice versa. Understanding how we think can help us learn to avoid the many pitfalls that result in us straying from a new lifestyle intervention. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of joining a community like our free fitness club to help maintain motivation, gain confidence and overcome hurdles.
We will take your height, weight and blood pressure and ask you to complete a short survey on current lifestyle.
Session 2: Nutrition NOT Diet!
Food is not something to be feared. It is crucial for our survival and health. The right foods can help protect & improve our health while the wrong foods can have a substantial impact on your quality of life, energy levels & mood. In this sessions we explore your thoughts around nutrition & help debunk some myths while explaining why we can so often have an unhealthy attitude towards what we eat.
Session 3: Physical activity
Grab your trainers because in this session we explore the vital role physical activity plays in keeping us both physically & mentally healthy. Our trained health coaches will help identify an exercise program for you. You may feel that you are unable to undertake exercise due to physical or mental health barriers but there are often many different forms which can be done as long as you keep an open mind and are prepared to try something new. We try where weather allows to do the session outside and have as much fun as possible!
What happens after the sessions are complete?
We believe that in order to learn something, it’s best to teach others how to do the same.
With this in mind, we would love to welcome you back to any group session in the future that you can attend to facilitate discussions and share the successes and challenges that you have faced.
Often people are happier learning from people who are on the same journey as them but two steps ahead.
You are a valuable asset to the community so we would love to use your new skills!
Just speak to any course leader at the end of the sessions to discuss coming back.
We will also give you information about other free or low cost community services that can help you to continue your weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey.
Are there any reasons why I cannot join the lifestyle group?
We need to make sure it is safe for you to exercise before you join the groups. Certain conditions that need to be discussed with a doctor before exercising include:
Unstable angina (heart related chest pain)
Systolic blood pressure higher than 180 and/or diastolic blood pressure over 100mmHg
Blood pressure drops below 80mmHg during ETT
Resting heart rate above 100bpm
Uncontrolled arrhythmias
Heart failure
Unstable diabetes
Illness accompanied by fever
Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
We look forward to seeing you at the Sowe Valley Lifestyle Clinic. Book now with your GP practice to avoid disappointment!
