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The Chronic disease risk reduction and reversal programme (Medifit)
Pure Sports Medicine is launching our Medifit programme this June. These unique programmes provide medically supervised rehabilitation for patients with a variety of chronic diseases. In particular these programmes focus on risk reversal and lifestyle optimisation.
Programmes are individualised and provide a number of components including supervised exercise, dietary intervention, education and stress management interventions. In South Africa this programme has been running successfully at the Sport Science Institute in Cape Town for the past 12 years. Professors Martin Schwellnus and Wayne Derman will be bringing across their expertise to the UK to run this programme.
Professor Martin Schwellnus
Martin is Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Cape Town and also works in private practice at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. He is a protégé of Professor Tim Noakes. Martin was the team doctor for Western Province Cricket and Rugby, and acts as medical consultant to a number of elite South African athletes. Martin is one of the leading practitioners and researchers in his field and sits on International Olympic Medical Committee, FIMS and other Global Sports Medicine Bodies.
Professor Wayne Derman
Wayne is a Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Cape Town and is also in private practice at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. He is also a protégé of Tim Noakes and was the Chief Medical Officer for South African Olympic Team in 2000 and 2004. Wayne was also the flight surgeon the First African in Space expedition and will be a member of the South African Paralympic medical team to Beijing in 2008. Wayne has a substantial international reputation as a clinician and scientist, and sits on the FIMS Scientific Commission.
About the Medifit programme
The Medifit programme has arisen as a means to address the global escalating problem of chronic disease, by modifying risk factors such as:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Bad eating habits
- Stress
- Obesity
This programme caters for anyone who has:
- Cardiac Disease (Stable angina, Myocardial infarct, Bypass surgery, Angioplasty, Angioplasty and stent, Arrhythmia, Valvular heart disease, Chronic stable heart failure and other cardiac disease)
- Multiple chronic disease risk factors (Sedentary lifestyle, Hypertension, Hyperlipidaemia, Stress)
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Chronic respiratory Disease (COPD and others)
- Cancer recovery
- Chronic renal disease
- Chronic musculoskeletal disease (Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Muscle disease and other)
- HIV disease
- Frailty and Aging
The aim of the program is to help you realise that you have the power to make appropriate choices to fit into your lifestyle and needs. We will be guiding and providing you with tools to help you realise the worth of your own active participation in the process of making lifestyle changes.
Induction Requirements
Before joining the programme you are required to consult one of our Sports Physicians. A comprehensive medial assessment including blood tests and an exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) is also a requirement before joining the programme. You may perform the exercise test with either your specialist/cardiologist or at our medical practice.
Following successful induction into the programme, a series of “introductory sessions” will be conducted during which a series of baseline measures will be done by the Biokineticist and supervised by the Sports Physician. These tests include blood pressure and heart rate monitoring during exercise, glucose monitoring before and after exercise (where appropriate), body composition measurements and a functional capacity test (6 minute unlimited locomotion test). These tests and others will be repeated at the end of the 12- week period in order for us to monitor your progress. A report will then be sent to your referring doctor and GP.
Your individualised initial programme will consist of a variety of exercises including walking, cycling, stretching or a water- based programme. The intensity of your programme will be based on the results of your latest stress ECG and your present level of fitness. Once your heart rate and blood pressure have stabilised during the introductory sessions, you will also be introduced to a light strength-training programme in the gym, under the supervision of the biokineticists.
Different Components of the programme
There are 5 different components to the programme:
Medical - “in house” medical supervision, including monitoring of blood
pressure, heart rate and rhythm, electrocardiogram (where appropriate) at rest
and during exercise
Individually prescribed exercise based on your stress ECG effort test (treadmill/
bicycle) to meet your goals and needs
Progress reports to your primary physician and specialist
Psychology - Stress management and relaxation therapy
Dietary - Nutritional assessment and meal planning
Regular educational session with material to help you understand the disease
process and your response to the disease
Core Elements of the Programme
Medical and musculoskeletal assessment and individualised exercise prescription
Assessment of lifestyle related risk factors
Medically supervised exercise sessions
Monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, rhythm and heart rate (HR) variability
Glucose monitoring before and after exercise (where appropriate)
Therapeutic education of 12 “need to know” topics
Introduction to dietary factors relating to disease
Introduction to stress management, incorporating biofeedback, StressErasor
and HeartMath technology and Mindfulness based techniques
Progress reports to your primary care physician and specialists
The Medifit Programme
Phase 1
The Elitecare component – this forms the first 12 weeks of the programme. This programme begins with one-on-one training until the patient is comfortable with the exercise prescription. Participation continues in small group medically supervised exercise training sessions with a high staff/client ratio. The emphasis of Elitecare is on slow individualised carefully monitored exercise training and getting to trust the body once again after the disease was identified. Therapeutic education is highlighted in this programme reassessment occurs following completion of this phase.
Phase 2
The Optihealth component – this forms the second 12 weeks of training. The emphasis of this component is on physical fitness and further aggressive risk factor reduction. Therapeutic education continues. This part of the programme has been designed to prepare the client to progress to either medically directed or unsupervised exercise settings.
FastTrack – this is a special 6 week programme for clients who have previously
been vigorously physically active or have previously been part of our or similar
programmes, and who require a short period of medically supervised exercise
training.