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Heart Mag – October 2026: One Year as a CIC — More Sessions, More Choice and a Community-Led Future

4 hours ago
10 min read

Author: Jamie Pickett, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Health Facilitator, & Founder of My Movement Medicine.

9 minute read

Category: Heart Mag, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Exercise, Community



 


Introduction

 

October is a big month for My Movement Medicine.

 

This month marks one year since My Movement Medicine became a Community Interest Company, and the Hampstead group programme is entering its next stage.

 

The expanded timetable rolls out during the week commencing on the 5th of October, with the full five-session weekly timetable in place from Monday the 12th of October. That Monday will also be our first double-session day and the date of the My Movement Medicine launch party.

 

It is a useful moment to look back, but more importantly to look at what becoming a CIC now allows us to build.

 

What started as a small follow-on exercise service after cardiac rehabilitation has grown into something broader: more weekly sessions, more ways to access support and a stronger commitment to shaping the service with the people who actually use it.

 

This month’s Heart Mag looks at what is changing, why the CIC structure matters, how lived experience can influence the next stage and a few practical reminders as we move into colder months.

 


The next stage is not simply about running more sessions. It is about creating more ways for people to keep moving long after formal rehabilitation ends.

 

 

One year as a Community Interest Company

 

My Movement Medicine became a Community Interest Company in October 2025.

 

A CIC is a social-enterprise structure designed for organisations that operate for community benefit. For My Movement Medicine, that formalised the direction the service had already taken: providing ongoing, clinically informed group exercise support after cardiac rehabilitation and for people living with long-term health conditions.

 

The change was not about adding three letters to the name. It was about creating a structure that could support a bigger community purpose.

 

Over the last year, the focus has been on making the group service more sustainable and accessible while protecting the things that made it valuable in the first place: clinically informed exercise, sensible progression, monitoring where appropriate, a familiar community and the confidence to keep going.

 

One year on, the benefit of that structure is becoming clearer. It gives My Movement Medicine a stronger platform to apply for community funding, invest in the service, widen access and involve service users more directly in decisions about what comes next.

 

 




The Hampstead timetable is growing

 

The October timetable at The Armoury in Hampstead expands to five group sessions across four days.

 

The wider rollout begins during the week commencing Monday the 5th of October. From Monday the 12th of October, the full five-session timetable will be running:

 


  • Mondays from 12 October: 4:30 – 5:30 pm circuit-based session (not online) and 5:45 – 6:45 pm hybrid session

  • Tuesdays: 4:30 – 5:30 pm circuit-based session (not online)

  • Wednesdays: 5:30 – 6:30 pm hybrid session

  • Thursdays: 4:30 – 5:30 pm hybrid session

 


Some sessions will remain hybrid, giving people the option to join face-to-face or online where appropriate.

 

The aim is simple: more choice.

 

Regular exercise is easier to maintain when it can fit around work, medical appointments, family commitments, travel and the normal disruptions of everyday life. Adding sessions is not just about increasing capacity. It gives people another opportunity to stay consistent when their usual time no longer works.

 

 

 

 

Monday the 12th of October: first double-session and launch party

 

Monday the 12th of October will be the first day with both Monday sessions running: 4:30 – 5:30 pm and 5:45 – 6:45 pm.

 

We will also be marking the next stage of My Movement Medicine with a launch party that day.

 

It is deliberately a community moment rather than a corporate anniversary. The service has grown because people have continued to turn up, exercise, talk to each other, give feedback, refer friends and show that there is a need for longer-term support beyond a short rehabilitation programme.

 

The launch is a chance to recognise that progress and start the next chapter with the people who helped

create it.



 

 

More sessions — but not simply more classes

 

Growth only matters if it makes the service more useful.

 

For some people, one regular weekly class is exactly what they need. Others benefit from exercising twice or three times per week. Some need an online option because of distance, work or travel. Others need a smaller setting before they feel ready to join a group.

 

The next stage is therefore about building different routes into regular exercise rather than expecting everyone to fit the same model.

 

That matters particularly after cardiac rehabilitation, when the move from a structured clinical programme into long-term independent exercise can feel surprisingly large.

 

 

 

 


 

More ways to exercise

 

Alongside the CIC group programme, My Movement Medicine’s wider Clinical Exercise Physiology offer is also developing.

 


 

One-to-one Clinical Exercise Physiology sessions

 

Individual sessions allow exercise to be tailored more closely around medical history, symptoms, current fitness, confidence and personal goals.

 

They can also provide a useful stepping stone for someone who is not yet comfortable moving directly into a group setting.

 

 




 

Small-group sessions

 

A smaller group can offer more individual support while keeping the motivation and social benefits of exercising alongside other people.

 

  

 


 

Home visits

 

Home visits provide another option for people who find travel difficult or who need to begin with exercise that is closely linked to everyday function at home.

 

The long-term aim is not to create endless different services. It is to create sensible entry points so that more people can find a form of support that works for them.

 


 


 


 

 

National Lottery funding is strengthening the Hampstead service

 

The successful National Lottery Awards for All funding bid is supporting the next stage of the Hampstead programme.

 

That support is helping strengthen delivery, equipment and the wider infrastructure needed to make regular community exercise support more sustainable.

 

For a growing CIC, funding like this creates room to improve what already works rather than having to choose between maintaining the current service and investing in its future.

 

It also creates an important responsibility: growth should remain connected to the needs of the people the service exists to support.

 

 


 

The people using the service should help shape it

 

One of the next governance steps for My Movement Medicine is to bring people with lived experience into the organisation more formally.

 

The intention is to appoint service users as directors so that people who understand the service from the participant side can contribute directly to decisions about its future.

 

That is particularly relevant this month because World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October. The World Health Organization’s 2026 theme is “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”

 

WHO’s message is that lived experience should not simply be collected as feedback after decisions have been made. People with lived experience should have meaningful opportunities to influence how services are designed, delivered and evaluated.

 

 

That principle applies well beyond mental-health services.

 

People who have experienced cardiac rehabilitation, recovery after a cardiac event or the day-to-day reality of exercising with a long-term condition often see barriers that professionals can miss. They understand the uncertainty around symptoms, transport, confidence, timing, cost, family responsibilities and the question of what happens when supervised rehabilitation finishes.

 

Clinical expertise matters. Lived experience matters too. A stronger service should make space for both.

 

 

 

From rehabilitation to long-term exercise

 

One question comes up again and again at the end of cardiac rehabilitation:

 

What happens next?

 

Finishing a rehabilitation programme does not automatically create a long-term exercise routine.

 

People may still be uncertain about:

 

  • How hard they should exercise

  • Which exercises are appropriate for them

  • Whether a symptom is expected or concerning

  • How to progress safely

  • How to return after illness, injury or a setback

  • How to stay motivated when regular supervision reduces



This is where ongoing Phase 4-style exercise can be useful.

 

The goal is not permanent dependence on supervision. It is gradual progression towards confidence, independence and a routine that can continue for years.

 


“The best long-term exercise plan is not the hardest one. It is the one you can safely keep returning to.”

 


What you may have missed in September

 

September was a busy month on the My Movement Medicine website, with the focus moving towards autumn, the October expansion and the story behind the service.

 

 

 

About Jamie Pickett — Clinical Exercise Physiologist & Founder of My Movement Medicine

 


Published on the 10th of September, this article gives a fuller introduction to my background, why I started My Movement Medicine and the gap I kept seeing after formal cardiac rehabilitation came to an end.

 

It also looks at the experience, qualifications and ideas that have shaped the service as it has grown.

 

 

 


Heart Mag – September 2026: Don’t Miss a Beat — New Cardiac Rehab Guidelines and a Bigger Autumn for MMM

 

Published on the 12th of September, September’s Heart Mag looked ahead to the October expansion, World Heart Day 2026 and the first dedicated European Society of Cardiology guidelines on cardiac rehabilitation.

 

It also explored why the direction of modern cardiac rehabilitation increasingly supports personalised, accessible and longer-term approaches to recovery.

 

 

 


Exercise – September 2026: The Autumn Exercise Reset — Build a Routine Before Winter

 

Published on the 20th of September, this guide focuses on protecting exercise consistency as daylight shortens and the weather becomes less predictable.

 

It covers aerobic exercise, strength work, Borg RPE, the talk test, warm-ups, indoor alternatives and a practical four-week autumn reset.

 

 



An autumn reminder: cold weather changes the workload

 

After the very hot spells earlier in the year, autumn brings a different challenge.

 

Cold, wind, rain and darker evenings can make familiar activity feel harder and can make some outdoor routes less practical.

 

MyHealth London advises people with cardiovascular disease to warm up before activity, cool down afterwards, avoid extremes of temperature and generally work at a moderate effort where they can talk but not sing.

 

 

The NHS also lists cold temperatures as one possible trigger for angina symptoms.

 

 

Practical autumn adjustments include:

 

  • Allowing a gradual, slightly longer warm-up when needed

  • Wearing several light layers rather than relying on one heavy layer

  • Choosing footwear with good grip in wet conditions

  • Using an indoor option when conditions are very cold, wet or slippery

  • Reducing pace when the weather makes a familiar route feel harder

  • Keeping GTN available if it has been prescribed and using it exactly as instructed

 

Exercise advice should always be individual. There is no single heart-rate zone or intensity that is right for every cardiac patient. If you have been given specific advice by your cardiac rehabilitation or medical team, that takes priority.

 

Stop exercising if you develop chest pain, dizziness, unusual or severe breathlessness, concerning palpitations or another warning symptom. For suspected heart attack or another life-threatening emergency, call 999.

 

 

 

Winter vaccination season has started

 

October is also a useful time to check whether you are eligible for seasonal vaccination.

 

The NHS flu programme is now under way for autumn and winter 2026. Adults aged 65 and over, and many adults aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions, are among those eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine. Eligible long-term conditions include heart conditions such as coronary heart disease and heart failure.

 

 

The NHS winter-health page also includes current information about flu and COVID-19 vaccination and staying well during colder months.

 

 

If you are unsure whether you are eligible, check the current NHS guidance or speak with your GP surgery, pharmacist or healthcare team.

 

Illness can interrupt exercise for days or weeks. Prevention and sensible recovery are part of protecting a long-term routine too.

 

 

 

October challenge: protect the routine

 

As daylight shortens and the weather becomes less predictable, this month’s challenge is not to build the hardest programme.

 

It is to protect your routine from the change of season.

 

Choose one backup option before you need it:

 

  • An indoor walking route

  • A home strength session

  • An online class

  • A stationary bike

  • A shorter local route

  • A second class time you can use when your normal session does not work

 

Having an alternative already decided makes it much easier to stay consistent when the weather, daylight or diary changes.

 

 

 

SMART challenge: the autumn backup plan

 

Specific: Choose one indoor or weather-proof exercise option.

 

Measurable: Use it at least once this month, even if the weather stays good.

 

Achievable: Keep the session similar to your usual exercise level rather than trying to make it a harder replacement.

 

Relevant: It protects your routine when outdoor activity or your normal plan becomes less practical.

 

Time-bound: Have the backup option ready before the end of October.

 

 

 

What is coming next?

 

The priorities for the next stage of My Movement Medicine are straightforward:

 

  • Establish the expanded five-session Hampstead timetable

  • Develop one-to-one, small-group and home-visit support alongside the CIC group programme

  • Bring service users more directly into governance and decision-making

  • Continue strengthening referral routes with cardiac rehabilitation teams, GPs and social prescribers

  • Keep developing practical health guides and resources

  • Build a service that can support people for the long term rather than only during a short rehabilitation window

 

Growth matters, but the purpose of growth matters more.

 

The aim is to make clinically informed exercise easier to access, easier to continue and easier to adapt as people’s health and lives change.

 

 

 

How to get involved

 

The expanded Hampstead timetable is rolling out this month at The Armoury, with the first Monday double-session and launch party on 12 October.

 

A free trial is available for people who would like to experience a group session before joining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

October marks both an anniversary and a new beginning.

 

My Movement Medicine has now spent a year operating as a Community Interest Company. The Hampstead timetable is expanding, the first Monday double-session arrives on the 12th of October and the launch party will mark the start of the next stage.

 

Alongside more group sessions, the wider My Movement Medicine service is developing more ways for people to access appropriate exercise support, while the CIC prepares to involve service users more directly in its future direction.

 

As autumn arrives, the practical message is equally simple: keep moving, adapt the plan to the season and have a backup option ready before you need it.

 

One year as a CIC is worth marking. What matters most, though, is what we build from here.

 

 



 

References and useful links

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






This health guide was written by Jamie Pickett, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Health Facilitator, & Founder of My Movement Medicine & My Movement Medicine C.I.C.







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