Faculty welcomes new Government plans to help us all take more exercise

The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine welcomes new Government initiatives on physical activity inspired by the Olympics, Paralympics and the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

The UK Government and the Scottish Parliament have both launched plans to get the nation taking more regular exercise for health.

Moving More Living More, produced by the Department of Health as part of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Legacy outlines the Government’s strategic direction for achieving a long term increase in physical activity, including areas for action and a national ambition for physical activity:

To have a year on year increase in the number of adults doing 150 minutes of exercise per week (in bouts of 10 minutes or more) and a year on year decrease in those who are inactive, defined as doing less than 30 minutes of exercise per week (in bouts of 10 minutes or more).

A More Active Scotland announces how the Scottish Government plans to deliver an increase in physical activity following the launch of its National Physical Activity Strategy for Scotland. It will also adapt key elements of the Toronto Charter to the Scottish setting and link it directly to the Government’s active legacy ambitions for the Commonwealth Games.

Dr Rod Jaques, President of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK comments: “Recent physical activity commitments from the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament brings us closer to the creation of a much needed, comprehensive National Physical Activity Strategy for all adults and children in the UK. It is great to see that both documents advocate a co-ordinated approach across public life to enable people to easily increase levels of physical activity.

“The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine is also working hard to encourage the Government and the NHS to put in place more sport and exercise medicine services across the UK to back up their ambitions for physical activity. Sport and Exercise Medicine has a large-scale application in improving the health of the general public through exercise advice and prescription.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

• • The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine was launched in 2006 and is an intercollegiate faculty of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
  • The Faculty has over 560 Members and Fellows, not including medical students
  • There are around 80 Sport and Exercise Medicine Doctors on the GMC specialist register
  • The FSEM not only sets standards in SEM but oversees research, training, curriculum and assessment of SEM Doctors, including providing revalidation services
  • Sport and Exercise Medicine involves the medical care of injury and illness in sport, exercise and the work place. It requires accurate diagnoses, careful clinical examination, experience and knowledge of sport and exercise specific movement patterns. SEM practitioners work in a variety of settings across primary, secondary and tertiary care. The specialty has a large scale application in improving the health of the general public through exercise advice and prescription. Further information about the specialty can be found in the Media & Resources section at www.fsem.co.uk

Follow FSEM on Twitter @FSEM_UK  Linkedin and Facebook  Web: www.fsem.co.uk

For further information contact PR & Communications for the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine;

Email: pr@fsem.ac.uk, Tel: 0131 527 3498, Mobile: 07551903702