GPs across the UK could soon be referring patients to their local park as a result of one woman’s efforts to tackle the pain in her shoulder.

Maxine Guiver from Market Harborough, Leicestershire was referred to a gym for a few months by her GP to help ease shoulder pain, reduce her weight and tackle depression.

When this ended, Maxine tried to make use of an outdoor gym in her local park, but she found that it didn’t quite meet her needs.

Maxine contacted her local council for help who, in partnership with outdoor play and fitness equipment specialist Proludic, were inspired to create a new outdoor fitness scheme to which GPs could refer patients.

The resulting scheme, the Social Fitness Zone, is now ready to be installed across the UK in order to help save the NHS money on gym referrals and increase patient access to free fitness facilities.

“Keeping up a gym membership was an expense I simply couldn’t afford,” explains Maxine. “And yet I was keen to maintain my progress.”

“It was great to find free facilities available in my local park, but the instructions on how to make the most of the equipment weren’t very clear and I thought it could be improved.

“The new Social Fitness Zone is ideal. It’s a great place to exercise and ideal for friends and community keep fit groups to exercise together, helping to improve the health of local people.”

Active Play (part of Harborough District Council) and Proludic came up with a low cost, but effective solution that is designed to increase fitness for a fraction of the price of regular gym referrals for patients.

“The Social Fitness Zone allows you to do the full range of exercises likely to be recommended by a GP to improve fitness,” explains Proludic Managing Director Michael Hoenigmann.

“It also provides clear instructions on how to use the equipment depending on your needs and level of fitness. People can even download instructional videos by scanning a QR code with their smart phone.

“Crucially for the NHS and local authorities, it’s a really cost effective scheme that will pay for itself by eliminating the need for referrals to paid-for gyms. It is also flexible enough to be installed in a small area, meaning it can be incorporated into the landscaping and design of most community areas.”

The NHS has recently been criticised for paid-for referrals to gyms and schemes like Weight Watchers. There are as many as 1,300 areas in the UK referring patients to gyms and over £4million has been spent by the NHS on Weightwatchers classes over the last 5 years.

Join Proludic on Stand H08 at PlayFair at IOG Saltex 2013 to see an example of the Social Fitness Zone. Register to attend for free here http://www.proludic.co.uk/upcoming-events/playfair-at-saltex.