Exercise can be the hardest medicine to take

EXERCISE is the most powerful medicine available to man but for some it is a bitter pill to swallow.' According to Jenni Jones, Director of Prevention Programmes, Training and Education at heart and stroke charity Croí, there isn’t a single tablet that a person can take that has such a positive outcome as an activity programme.

'It has physical and psychological benefits,' says Jenni. 'Exercise is an extremely powerful tool but we appreciate that it isn’t easy to change your behaviour.'

While the overall rate of death from heart disease is declining, the number with the disease is still very high as more people survive cardiac incidents as a result of medical treatments.

Heart and stroke charity Croí sees a wide range of people, most over 50 years of age. Many aren’t used to regular activity, some have excess body weight, some have had a stroke or heart surgery and others have been warned that a heart attack isn’t far away.