Physical Activity updates

Physical Activity: Moving Medicine consensus statement on risk

Moving Medicine is an initiative set up by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine in partnership with Public Health England and Sport England.

It’s dedicated to sharing best practice, advice to clinicians and patients, the latest research, to create a healthier, happier and more active nation.

“We know the benefits of physical activity for people with long term health conditions including musculoskeletal conditions; however, fear that physical activity may increase or worsen symptoms can sometimes stop healthcare professionals from recommending activity and people from moving more.

“For people who experience musculoskeletal pain as part of their medical condition, physical activity will not increase pain in the long term. A temporary increase in pain levels is common when starting a new physical activity, until the body adapts, and people should be counselled to expect this.

“There is no evidence to suggest this pain correlates with tissue damage or adverse events in the absence of new injury (acute fracture/acute soft tissue injury).” Moving Medicine website

Moving Medicine led on the development of a consensus statement to help to understand what safety advice healthcare professionals should give to people in clinical practice.

You can find downloadable infographics which summarise what healthcare professionals should know before giving advice about risk to people with long term conditions.

These include symptom specific considerations for people with a musculoskeletal condition and a consensus statement around risk, peer reviewed and published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Learn more about risk and physical activity.

Physiotherapist – casting opportunity

We are currently creating a set of physical activity videos supporting those waiting for and recovering from surgery. These videos will feature commonly recommended exercises for those awaiting and recovering from joint replacement surgery. There will also be videos incorporating tips and advice on why keeping active is so essential for those undergoing surgery.

We are looking for an NHS physiotherapist who specialises in supporting those waiting for surgery to present the videos.

If you would be interested in being considered as a presenter for the videos, please contact p.macleod@versusarthritis.org by Wednesday 15th June.

Please note, no previous experience of being on camera is required and scripts would be provided.

Physical Activity programme evaluation - new papers published

Our paper from the Let’s Move evaluation on The barriers and facilitators to physical activity in people with a musculoskeletal condition: A rapid review of reviews using the COM-B model to support intervention development - ScienceDirect has been published on Public Health in Practice and is available online as open access.

Our paper on The reach and benefits of a digital intervention to improve physical activity in people with a musculoskeletal condition delivered during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK has also been published.

We are very proud of this work and are looking forward to sharing more of our evaluation reporting from Justin Webb and the team at London Metropolitan University with our colleagues and stakeholders very soon.

Physical activity resources

We are continuing to create a variety of digital content to help those living with arthritis to keep moving as part of the Let’s Move project, funded by Sport England.

May saw the launch of the Let’s Move monthly challenge. Each month, exercise specialist Leon Wormley and his Mum Janet set a movement challenge for people living with arthritis.

Each move can be repeated throughout the month to help incorporate physical activity into everyday life.

All of our content including the full Let’s Move with Leon series can be found on the Versus Arthritis YouTube channel. Here you will also find our tailored stretching series and full body stretching series which bring to life the commonly recommended exercises for people living with arthritis in 20-minute follow-along videos.

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