It’s almost impossible to go to the doctor or open a newspaper without being told that physical exercise is good for us. The World Health Organisation (WHO 2010) says that regular, moderate intensity physical activity can have significant health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colon and breast cancer, and depression. But there is also evidence that exercise can have more specific health benefits for people with dementia, for example by improving quality of life, neurocognitive function and affective symptoms (mood), and that it can possibly influence the rate of cognitive decline (Erikson 2011; Scarmeas et al 2011). This led to a collaboration between the Liverpool-based exercise service Liveability and a European research project called Innovate Dementia to evaluate the role of exercise for people with dementia. Liveability is a NHS nurse-led award winning service which provides instructor-led exercise classes and gym sessions to the over-50s in the south of the city. In general, Liveability is designed to deliver health messages, increase physical activity and reduce social isolation by offering structured exercise classes followed by opportunities for social interaction between participants. In the dementia collaboration, the key aim was to increase access to Liveability for people living with the condition and to enable them to take a full part in the programme
