Moving Medicine for Everybody Launches to Tackle the £7.4bn Cost of Inactivity and Support People LivingWith Long‑Term Conditions
The Faculty are delighted to announce that the Moving Medicine for Everybody website has been launched, offering accessible, evidence-informed guidance to help people move more, in ways that work for them, particularly people living with long-term health conditions.
Physical inactivity costs the UK economy approximately £7.4 billion per year, including approximately £1 billion to the NHS. Over half of the UK adult population lives with at least one long term condition and this trajectory continues to get worse. Led by medical specialists in sport and exercise medicine, the website marks the next phase of the broader Moving Medicine programme, which supports healthcare professionals and systems to integrate physical activity into routine clinical care. People who are inactive, for whatever reason, are less able to participate in society, both socially and economically. Physical activity’s role in preventing a number of serious physical and mental health conditions provided over £9.5 billion in value to the economy.
Developed in partnership with Nuffield Health, working with important partners such as Sport England through the National Lottery, the website aims to empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence they need to take control of their health through movement and remove unnecessary barriers to exercise.
According to a recent Nuffield Health report, ‘Unlocking the Miracle Cure, ’ 70% of those in very poor health are unaware of the benefits of exercise while fewer than 20% of those with chronic conditions have been recommended to exercise by their GPs.
There are currently more than 2.8m people out of work due to long-term sickness, with the Office for Budget Responsibility predicting that spending on sickness and disability benefits will rise by £30bn by 2028/29.Clinical Director of Moving Medicine and President of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Dr Natasha Jones, said: “People with long-term conditions are often told to ‘be more active’. While this is good medical advice, we know that living with the symptoms of long term conditions makes activity very challenging, even frightening. For this reason, it is essential to give people practical, confidence-building guidance which will support them as they decide to make lifestyle changes.
“Moving Medicine for Everybody brings trusted, evidence-informed information together in one place – helping clinicians guide the public to a resource they can use at their own pace.”
With over 20 million adults in the UK affected by long-term conditions, the need for accessible, evidence-based support has never been greater. Moving Medicine for Everybody is a new initiative designed to help people living with the symptoms of long-term conditions access evidence based, trusted, practical guidance on the why’s, how’s and where’s of movement. Specifically, it addresses the key questions and concerns we know people with long term conditions have, offers symptom and disease specific advice and even offers an evidence based conversational agent, a coachbot, to help build motivation.
Dr Davina Deniszczyc, Charity and Medical Director at Nuffield Health, believes this partnership as a key step for healthcare in this country. She said: “Movement should be recognised and adopted as a go-to treatment option for people living with long-term conditions. However, for too many, taking that first step towards being active is made harder by outdated rules or uncertainty about what is safe. “We want people to feel comfortable and empowered to use movement as part of their everyday treatment. The launch of this new website is an important first step in delivering that change, making trusted, practical guidance freely available to anyone who needs it.”
Dr Natasha Jones added: “Combining the clinical expertise of Sport and Exercise Medicine professionals with the experience and infrastructure of Nuffield Health charity is an opportunity indeed. “We will develop, evaluate and share the outputs of all of our combined projects with the ambition of creating meaningful, scalable policy and resources which can, once and for all, dispel the myth that it is safer to rest than to move”
The Moving Medicine for Everybody initiative is part of a broader effort to shift away from outdated, clinician-led exercise clearance models and toward a more inclusive, patient-led approach, as per WHO guidelines. The cross-sector partnership, led by FSEM, APNO and Sport England is also piloting a new, simplified sign-up form to replace the widely used PAR-Q, helping people make informed decisions about being active, safely and confidently.
The new public platform offers:
Clear, expert-backed advice on managing symptoms through movement
and where to start
Interactive tools and digital coaching tailored to individual needs
Resources co-designed with patients and health charities to ensure relevance and trust
For more information please visit the website via the link below: