STA is delighted to announce a new partnership with Good Boost, who have pioneered the co-design and development of AI technology for personalised therapeutic exercise and rehab in the water, and on land.

The inherent benefits of exercising in the water are well documented, especially for people with weakened muscles, joints or bones. Swimming not only works on most muscle groups and the cardiovascular system; it is low impact on the joints. This is because a body’s weight in water is only one-tenth of what it is on land, so moving about is much easier.

Taking this one step further is Good Boost, a social enterprise working in partnership with community, leisure and health teams to create community-delivered therapeutic exercise and wellbeing programmes. Using award-winning AI technology, Good Boost’s solution follows a human-centred methodology, and with a package of rugged waterproof tablets, computers, and certified training they provide a ‘plug-and-play’ solution that will rapidly transform any space into a therapeutic place, including at the poolside where people with musculoskeletal health conditions benefit most.

This transformative solution supports a diverse population, and helps individuals or groups to move from inactive to active, thereby improving local health and wellbeing outcomes. Also, the NHS certified technology creates new pathways between health and leisure, overcoming both health and physical activity inequalities.

Dave Candler, STA’s CEO said: “According to recent survey figures from ukactive, 61% of respondents said that if their doctor gave them the choice, they would prefer to receive treatment or support for a health condition or injury in a gym, leisure centre or pool, over a hospital – and receiving treatment in these community settings would help to meet the demands on health services, and we know for people living with joint conditions and wider long-term health conditions, the water is the best place to exercise.”

“Good Boost not only facilitates this, the AI technology takes it one step further by giving people via their local swimming pool the opportunity to access affordable personalised solutions that combine the practical, emotional, and curated assistance needed for effective supported self-management. This award-winning technology is transforming how people can exercise and rehabilitate at the pool for increased health and wellbeing; and we are very proud to be involved in this technical revolution as Good Boost’s partner,” confirmed Dave.

Ben Wilkins, Good Boost’s CEO, said: “We are hugely excited at Good Boost to work with the STA to extend our reach to support individuals living with health conditions and maximise their self-management to improve their overall health and well-being. This is an exciting new partnership because it means we will expand internationally into pools worldwide to create a far-reaching impact.”

Suzanne Gabb, Good Boost’s COO, added: “The STA’s commitment to creating inclusiveness in swimming and the overarching objective to preserve life by teaching swimming aligns with our participants. 40% of Good Boost participants are classified as non or low confidence in water. Partnering with the STA furthers the development of our users’ aquatic journey, creating stronger pathways for adults to learn to swim programme working toward creating nations of safer swimmers.”