Stowmarket: GP surgery Stowhealth branches out with gym

A SUFFOLK GP surgery has opened an on-site gym as part of a drive to provide as many health services as possible under one roof.

Stowhealth, which is based in Stowmarket, has worked alongside Woolpit Physio and Abbeyfields Clinic to open the Allactive gym.

The small but fully fitted out facility aims to cater for those who would not usually go to a traditional gym, or for who physical rehabilitation is essential to making a full recovery.

Services include back-to-work fitness and osteopath-designed programmes, alongside traditional general health and wellbeing support. Specially trained gym instructors are on hand to ensure that all users get the best out of the facilities, and are undergoing continuous training to ensure they are fully versed in a range of ailments and approaches and can help all patients no matter what their health needs.

Gym users are taken through a thorough induction when they start, to ensure the exercise that they will be doing and the programmes they will be following are tailored exactly to their needs. Nutrition information and personal training is also available to those who feel they need an extra level of support.

Dr Simon Rudland, surgery partner at Stowhealth, which is among the firms in the EADT’s Suffolk Future 50 listing of up-and-coming businesses with high growth potential, said: “At Stowhealth we have a long-term commitment to developing our surgery into a practice that does everything that it can to help our patients to recover from illnesses and provide a great patient experience.

“The Allactive gym is a part of this commitment. We wanted to set up the gym because we know that patients need to exercise somewhere where they feel comfortable, with medical staff on-site should they need them.

“With a structured training programme led by professionals we hope to help patients and other users to manage their illnesses and general wellbeing better.”