Background The Hospice Rehabilitation Service aims to maintain independence, build confidence, improve strength, reduce fatigue, reduce side effects of treatments, depression and anxiety. The benefits of exercise for people living with long-term conditions, both physically, emotionally and psychologically, are widely recognised.

Aims A local gym agreed to provide a Personal Trainer free of charge to run a group under the guidance of hospice staff. The project aims to:

• Enable and empower active and independent patients to access a local community gym for independent exercise;

• Improve patients’ health and wellbeing.

Participating patients would then be offered gym membership at a reduced rate on completion of the programme.

Method Patients set their goals, and hospice staff provided referrals, relevant information and training in rehabilitation principles and fatigue to the Personal Trainer. The patients were taken as a group into the gym environment to access the equipment safely at their own level, building their confidence in small steps. Seven patients were referred, and the Personal Trainer developed programmes suited to individual needs.

Results Four completed (57%) and reported increased strength, mobility and fitness, weight loss and improved confidence. Two of the group have now taken up gym membership and one has achieved his goal to get back onto the golf course.

Conclusion The programme had a positive impact on our patients’ health and wellbeing and the hospice has successfully enabled patients to access community resources. The second cohort of patients have been referred and progress is being monitored.

‘Exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood.’