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Consistent physical activity provides a range of physical, mental and social benefits which are vital for healthy individuals, communities and society. To support momentum in this area, Sport England recently announced two training opportunities created specifically for mental healthcare professionals. The new offerings are designed to enhance knowledge and confidence in integrating physical activity discussions into everyday practice. The free modules include an e-learning course on anxiety and depression and one on talking to mental health patients to get them active, available in person or online.
Public Health England’s national physical activity framework, Everybody Active Every Day, highlighted the critical role healthcare professionals play in increasing activity. Evidence shows that one in four people would be more active if advised by a GP or nurse, yet nearly three-quarters of GPs don’t speak about the benefits of physical activity to their patients. This disconnect has been attributed to a lack of knowledge, skills or confidence with 80% of practitioners reporting being unfamiliar with the national physical activity guidelines. Additionally, Sport England noted that barriers such as motivation, perceived costs and a lack of awareness of local sport and physical activity provision often hinder effective conversations.
In the effort to empower mental healthcare professionals to incorporate physical activity conversations into their clinical practice, the new trainings cover:
- BMJ physical activity for anxiety and depression (e-learning course): this training takes a practical approach to equipping mental healthcare professionals with the necessary tools to discuss physical activity confidently within the context of talking therapy, i.e., NHS Talking Therapy services.
- Mental Health Clinical Champion Training (in-person or online): this training includes understanding the importance of physical activity, evidence-based research on its benefits, identifying barriers for those living with mental health conditions in becoming active and helpful resources to support patients become more active.
Launched in 2017, the Moving Healthcare Professionals program, led by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and Sport England, helps healthcare professionals incorporate physical activity within routine care to support quality improvement and better patient outcomes. The program provides evidence-based training and support resources for healthcare professionals to improve awareness, knowledge, confidence and skills to promote physical activity to patients to prevent and manage ill health.
To date, more than 157,000 professionals have engaged with the program’s assets and resources. The network of physical activity clinical champions across England has trained more than 40,000 healthcare professionals to include physical activity conversations in their practice with patients. More than 180,000 e-learning modules have been completed and more than 225,000 people have used the Moving Medicine resource.
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