Developed in conjunction with Innerva, the new facility at the Neptune Centre utilises the company’s power-assisted exercise equipment to empower individuals to improve their fitness and strength in a supportive and social environment.

“We are extremely proud to launch this Active Wellbeing site, it is great news for physical activity in Middlesbrough. The installation of Innerva equipment at the Neptune Centre will help us to further support the local community to live healthier and happier lives. Our aim is to help people of all ages, including those with long-term health conditions to be active, in line with our Community Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which provides the cornerstone for everything we do,” said Rebecca Phillips, Everyone Active’s Strategic Lead – Health and Wellbeing.

Middlesbrough is one of the 20 per cent most deprived districts in England. The health of people in Middlesbrough is generally worse than the England average with life expectancy for both men and women lower than the England average.

Everyone Active is working with its local health partners to establish regular use of the suite with key user groups. It has secured funding to refer patients who are waiting for planned care such as knee and hip replacements into the Active Wellbeing Suite, and is working with the Public Health England Specialist Activity Team to set up regular bookings for those with Parkinson’s, MS, Neurodivergence and long term conditions. Teesside Ability Support Group (TASG), which provides a day service for adults with physical disability and other health conditions, will also have regular sessions in the suite to support its clients.

This is Everyone Active’s eighth power-assisted exercise studio, and the first in the UK to utilise Innerva’s Active Wellbeing brand-in-the-box solution. Everyone Active is adopting the Active Wellbeing brand at other studios in line with its vision to provide place-based, resident-led solutions that increase physical activity and reduce social isolation.

At The Neptune Centre, Everyone Active has converted a former meeting room to house the Active Wellbeing Suite, which comprises a circuit of 10 machines, each targeting a specific muscle group. The power assistance nature of the equipment means users don’t have to rely solely on their muscles to complete the exercises. They can determine how much assistance they need and reduce this as their fitness and strength improves. 

Designed for people with reduced mobility and those who are affected by long-term health conditions, the studio provide a welcoming space for individuals to connect, make friends and enjoy a supportive environment.

Everyone Active and Innerva are partnering with UK Research and Innovation to explore the challenges older adults face in accessing physical activity and how public sector leisure providers can successfully engage with this market. As the UK’s first trial site, the Active Wellbeing Suite will test the latest innovations in power-assisted equipment over the next 12 months providing valuable insight from an operator and end user perspective.