GPS to prescribe dance and yoga for depressed women

YOGA and dance classes will be prescribed by GPS to women who are depressed or diabetic.

As part of the scheme doctors will be urged to send patients to fitness classes such as boxing if they have mental health concerns or weight issues.

The Sport England “This Girl Can” classes will come on stream early next year, according to The Times.

Tim Hollingsworth, the CEO of Sport England, told the paper: “Despite the enormous progress we have made with supporting more women to get active in recent years, the gender gap for activity stubbornly persists.

“Getting active boosts mental and physical health, helps manage anxiety and stress and creates social ties but millions of women are missing out on these benefits.”

Mr Hollingsworth said that the pandemic had not helped, with a recent survey finding that women were taking longer than men to return to their prepandemic exercise habits.”

Sport England said women often felt “judged or embarrassed” while exercising, so the focus was to create an environment “free of judgement”.

A national database where GPS can search for instructors offering classes is being created by Sport England to aid social prescribing. In England, the obesity rate is higher for women, with 29 per cent, compared with 27 per cent of men. Women are also traditionally less active than men.

The move is the latest form of social prescribing, the practice whereby health workers refer patients for non-medicine-based activities.

Examples of social prescribing which are available on the NHS include fishing,

29pc

The proportion of women classed as obese in England, compared with 27pc of men. They are also often less active than men

gardening and cycling.

In August 2020, the Government allocated £5million to the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP).

The NHS aims to engage one million patients a year in social prescribing by 2024. The classes will also protect women from street harassment, a common concern among females who exercise outdoors, Sport England said.

A survey of 1,000 British women conducted by Runner’s World found nearly half of women had experienced harassment while running.