Page 44 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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Itook over the SSI position at 5 Medical Regiment late September 2020. The position is a dual role which encompasses the mainstream and exercise rehabilitation avenues. The unit has
been filtering through periods of work from home and in barracks during the COVID climate. We have maintained physical training standards by adapting the Army Physical Training System (APTS) to be effective completely outdoors. Utilising the APTS exercise coaching cards, the physical training staff highlighted those who could be safely loaded by personal load carrying equipment (PLCE) such as bergens. Focusing on key areas of the foundation block such as muscular endurance, balance, education and movement patterns, we have been able to deliver effective group sessions. We even managed to provide a large scaled, fun, potted sports themed session outside to gather the unit socially distanced together before the festive stand-down.
During the COVID-19 climate, the unit has still been engaging in sport such as football training when authorised and developing skill sets such as orienteering. The unit embarked on Exercise SERPENT’S PEAK on the 30th September 2020. Eight personnel from the Regiment participated in the endurance event across the Yorkshire Three Peaks, testing both navigational skills and endurance. Lead by two competent Mountain Leader Training (MLT) personnel, this provided a rewarding yet challenging activity for those involved.
As part of the dual role position as an exercise rehabilitation instructor (ERI), I have also been assisting the Catterick Garrison Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility (PCRF) by taking on a caseload of unit patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the ability to treat patients, but we have been able to continue providing a rehabilitation pathway by remote consultations over the telephone. Utilising the Rehab Guru application, we have been able to email over individual exercise programmes for patients to follow from home. Walk run programmes have been a key area to focus on where appropriate. This not only contributes to the patient’s rehabilitation pathway, but also offers them opportunity to get outside for general wellbeing and exercise. Collectively, this remote method of clinical care has been effective, and we are still seeing patients being suitable for discharge from care.
At the time of writing this article, many of 5 Medical Regiment’s personnel are deployed on Op RESCRIPT supporting the fight
LCpl Barrass conducting the body-weighted version of the lone soldier training programme in his hotel room during Op RESCRIPT
against COVID-19. Those personnel have been maintaining physical training by completing the body-weight version of the lone soldier training programme from their hotel rooms or living quarters. This was pushed across the unit’s gymnasium Defence Connect page with a Microsoft forms link to acknowledge completion.
We are currently in the planning phases for some unit adventurous training (AT) packages and will be looking to infuse sporting activities as soon as the current climate allows. This will allow some much-needed down time for those who have been heavily involved in fighting the global pandemic.
5 MEDICAL REGIMENT
SSgt (SSI) CR Duncan RAPTC
Front row – Pte Fowler and Pte Doncaster (left to right), Rear row – LCpl Barrass, LCpl Cox, Cpl Cooper and Capt Lillywhite