A social enterprise set up to help people and families living with chronic illness through community-based clinical exercise programmes is aiming to have classes in every county with 40,000 weekly attendees by 2028, its founder has said. Former Dublin footballer Dr Noel McCaffrey set up the not-for-profit ExWell in 2019 and since then the venture has grown exponentially, with some 12,000 weekly attendees availing of exercise classes in 67 centres in 14 counties.

“What we do is we offer structured exercise programmes in community settings to people with diverse chronic illnesses, so we have people coming to classes with heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes – a whole range of health issues,” said McCaffrey.

“People are referred to us by healthcare providers, so we get referrals from doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists, health promotion officers and social prescribers whose job is to meet a person and try and identify social opportunities that would be beneficial to their health.”

McCaffrey explained that the rationale behind ExWell (Exercise for Wellness), is that a large part of the unwellness, disability and poor quality of life that occurs with any chronic illness is caused by becoming deconditioned through physical inactivity. “This starts a downwards spiral of reduced fitness, impaired mobility, social isolation, loneliness and poor mental health, loss of confidence and motivation, increasing fear of exercise and an even greater reduction in physical activity, and so the spiral continues,” he said.

“Appropriately designed and delivered exercise programmes can reverse this trend without needing to fix the illness, and the impact of the programme is restoration of mobility and fitness but also improvements in somebody’s mental health in terms of enthusiasm, enjoyment and hope.”

ExWell is a not-for-profit organisation employing 90 people and, while it receives funding from the HSE and local authorities in some areas and from Government through its Healthy Ireland initiative, it is largely funded by the participants paying around €7 for hour-long classes.

“Classes are held in community facilities – they’re either community halls or GAA clubs, we have one soccer club whose facilities we use – but all we need is a hall with parking. We don’t need a gym as the only equipment we use are dumbbells. But it works and works quickly, within six weeks.” And there’s no gym wear needed – participants just wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

ExWell’s most recent annual report for 2025 makes for impressive reading in relation to the 3,354 people availing of the classes, with the participants – whose average age is 72 and 65 per cent of whom are women – all self-reporting improved outcomes since they began attending the classes.

The report says that that participants’ “falls experience” has improved, with the number of falls reported dropping from a baseline of 28 per cent to 22 per cent. Fear of falling has also dropped, from 55 per cent to 48 per cent, and the number of participants limiting their activities due to fear of falling has dropped from 56 per cent to 47 per cent.

Similarly, fear of breathlessness fell from a baseline of 53 per cent to 36 per cent, while the number of emergency department visits, hospital admissions and nights in hospital all reduced.

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But while the exercise element is one core pillar of ExWell, equally important is reducing social isolation, which often increases among those with chronic illness, with consequences for their mental health and wellbeing. “The social engagement element of ExWell is huge,” said McCaffrey. “It’s just as important as the exercise and it happens to a large extent very informally. People come in early and they have the chat and maybe they stay on after the class for a coffee and more chat.

“It’s hugely important for some people – for example, people who are bereaved and lonely at home – and ExWell is the pathway back to a new life, new friends or relinking with old friends.”

ExWell is holding its annual Health Fair on Friday, September 11th at Punchestown Racecourse in Co Kildare, from 9.10am. Among those lined up to speak are Prof Sean Kenneally on Brain Health, Dr Eamon Dolan on Stroke, Prof Cathal McCrory on Healthy Ageing, Dr Vicky Lunt on Coping with Cancer, Prof Donal O’Shea on Diabetes and Karen MacLaughlin on Living with Heart Failure