\n The free Otago Falls Prevention Programme, funded by Active Cumbria and delivered by the BEATS team at Barrow Leisure Centre, will launch a new 12-week course at St Matthews Community Halls, Highfield Road, in Barrow-in-Furness from September 18.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Otago programme is designed to improve strength, balance and confidence in older people with the aim of reducing falls and supporting independent living.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Barrow Leisure Centre)\n<\/p>\n
\n BEATS instructor Lauren Booth said: “We\u2019ve seen through our existing Otago classes just how much of a difference these sessions can make.\n<\/p>\n
\n “It isn’t simply about exercise or preventing a fall \u2013 it can be someone feeling confident enough to go for a walk again, getting out of a chair more easily, or feeling able to do more for themselves at home.\n<\/p>\n
\n “That independence has such an important impact on a person’s quality of life.\n<\/p>\n
\n “We want Otago to be something people across Barrow can realistically access, which is why taking the programme into different community locations is so important.”\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Barrow Leisure Centre)\n<\/p>\n
\n The BEATS team already runs two Otago programmes in Barrow and has witnessed first-hand the improvements in participants\u2019 mobility, confidence, and ability to perform daily tasks.\n<\/p>\n
\n By adding another location, the team hopes to reach individuals who may struggle to travel to existing venues or who feel more comfortable joining sessions closer to home.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Otago programme is evidence-based and focuses on structured strength and balance exercises to help participants feel steadier, move with more confidence, and maintain independence for longer.\n<\/p>\n
\n The benefits often extend beyond fall prevention, making activities such as walking, getting dressed, or leaving the house more manageable.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Barrow Leisure Centre)\n<\/p>\n
\n One previous participant said the programme had made a real difference to their daily life.\n<\/p>\n
\n They said: “My knees feel much stronger, and I can now do simple things like put my socks on more easily.\n<\/p>\n
\n “I also feel more confident walking on uneven ground, which means I can enjoy walks along the beach again.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Otago has helped me make real progress and feel more independent.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Research carried out at Barrow Leisure Centre as part of a University of Bath dissertation found that the Otago Exercise Programme led to a 40 per cent improvement in balance and muscle power among older adults at risk of falls.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Barrow Leisure Centre)\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Arun Thimmiah, of Abbey Road Surgery, said: “Participants became steadier and more confident in everyday activities, supporting Otago as an effective, evidence-based programme for maintaining independence and reducing fall risk.”\n<\/p>\n
\n The sessions are designed to be supportive and accessible, allowing participants to progress at their own pace without needing to be fit or confident before starting.\n<\/p>\n
\n The programme is particularly suited to older adults who have concerns about balance, have experienced a fall, or who want to improve their strength and mobility.\n<\/p>\n
\n Participants should be independently mobile, able to stand and get in and out of a chair without assistance, and able to follow instructions safely during the exercises.\n<\/p>\n
\n The new programme at St Matthews Community Halls will run every Friday at 11am for 12 weeks, starting on September 18, and is completely free to attend.\n<\/p>\n
\n (Image: Barrow Leisure Centre)\n<\/p>\n
\n Anyone interested in joining can email healthandfitness@barrowleisure.co.uk to book a place or find out more.\n<\/p>\n
\n Residents can also speak to their GP or healthcare professional about being referred through the BEATS scheme.\n<\/p>\n
\n The expansion of the Otago programme is part of the BEATS team\u2019s wider commitment to making preventative health and physical activity opportunities more accessible in the Barrow community.\n<\/p>\n
\n By offering free, evidence-based support in multiple locations, the team hopes to help more people maintain the confidence and independence to continue enjoying the activities they love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The free Otago Falls Prevention Programme, funded by Active Cumbria and delivered by the BEATS team at Barrow…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":879966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84],"class_list":["post-879965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=879965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/879966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=879965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=879965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=879965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}