Active Medicine

This section includes a number of key areas:

• Physical Activity Messaging
• Physical Activity for Health Training
• E-Learning for Healthcare
• Let's Get Moving & Healthy Conversation Training
• Physical Activity Guidelines
• Moving Medicine
• Active Practices
• Local Activity

It is widely evidenced that physical activity can have a positive effect on both physical and mental wellbeing, both in the context of prevention and treatment.

Yet across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland 39% of adults and 83% of children do not meet the UK Chief Medical Officers physical activity guidelines (1). For those living with a health condition, they are twice as likely to be inactive than people without a health condition (2). Unfortunately, 60 % of people with 2 or more LTC are not happy with their current activity levels (3).

National clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence advice physical activity promotion for inactive people with a range of long-term conditions and physical activity brief advice in healthcare is one of the top seven 'best buys' for getting a population active.

Finally, a peer reviewed consensus statement from the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that it is safer for patients to be physically active than not. You can find more information, including symptom specific considerations at the link below.

1 in 4 people would be more active if advised by a GP or Nurse, highlighting the critical value of the patient practitioner relationship to activity and improved health outcomes.

Research suggests that over 70% of GP's do not speak to patients about the benefits of physical activity or are aware of the UK Chief Medical Officers physical activity guidelines (3). Studies showed 80% of GP's were not familiar with PA guidance and only 16% of physiotherapists knew all the guidance (4,5). This section aims to summarise training opportunities for health care practitioners to access physical activity training.

We also offer a range of training for the non-clinical workforce, who play a huge role in supporting individuals to get moving for physical and mental health benefits.

These sessions are aimed at anyone who would like to know more about physical activity and how it can support those they work with. Attendees may be from the health, social and voluntary sector including; social prescribers/LACs/Health & Wellbeing Coaches, VCSE workers/volunteers, or social workers and carers.

Session elements include;

• Physical activity guidelines and recommendations
• Benefits of physical activity
• Long term conditions
• Local opportunities and services
• Resources to support someone to move more
• Behaviour change

The session can be adapted based on the delegate interests and needs, therefore length of the session will vary, generally it might last 60 minutes.

Contact us on the details below for more information and to arrange a session.

This is a national training that is co-ordinated locally by Leicestershire County Council that Active Together can deliver for you.

This practical skills development training is for front line workers who interact with the public and have an opportunity to support health and wellbeing. This training has been delivered to a range of workforces including doctors, nurses, APHs, housing, libraries, job centres, social care and many more.

The training is very participatory and draws on trainees' own experiences and beliefs. Each session is tailored to the training needs and helps facilitate them to identify opportunities in their own roles to use the skills gained from the course.

Objectives of the session include:

• How you can support someone to explore their own health and wellbeing
• How using more effective responses can help people find their own solutions
• How you can support someone to think about their own behaviour change plan

There are a range of training sessions related to this available depending on need and availability;

• MECC Lite (3 hours)
• MECC (2x3 hour sessions)

Being active during pregnancy and beyond brings with it a host of physical and mental benefits, including a reduction in hypertensive disorders, lower gestational weight gain, a reduction in the risk of developing gestational diabetes, and a reduction in depression, improved emotional wellbeing and a quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight in the postpartum period.

However, many healthcare professionals don't regularly have conversations about physical activity with this population group. In response, Moving Medicine, This Girl Can and The Active Pregnancy Foundation have teamed up to provide a suite of the most useful training and resources, based on feedback from GPs, midwives and health visitors, to arm healthcare professionals such as yourself with the knowledge and confidence to proactively hold these conversations. Active mums start with you.

RCGP (The Royal College of GPs )and Sport England have teamed up to launch the Active Practice Charter to inspire and celebrate GP practices that are taking steps to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in their patients and staff.

Please visit our Active Practice page for more information of how you can get involved locally.

Active Together are here to help local residents to move a little more, in your own way.

We work with many organisations across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland to support residents on their journey to being healthier and happier, by moving more.

Active Referral offers individuals aged 16+ who are currently inactive (doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week) and living with a medium or high risk medical condition to sessions of community or leisure centre-based activity at discounted rates.

Alongside health and care partners, we are implementing a free postural stability exercise programme called Steady Steps with support from each of the localities across Leicestershire and Rutland.

Steady Steps is a 24-week programme tailored to those who have previously fallen or worry about falling and is designed to help improve balance and stability. Delivered by Level 4 specialised Postural Stability Instructors, the classes are tailored to each individual's abilities and will progress in difficulty throughout the programme.

People are eligible for the Steady Steps programme if they are aged over 65, are at risk of falling (e.g. have a high fear or falling or poor balance) or have fallen less than three times in the past 12 months.

Leicestershire County Council Weight Management Service offer a range of weight management support for people aged 16 years and above* as well as a lifestyle programme for families of children aged 4-17 to help them develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Find out more about the programme using the link below.

Our Get Active Search Engine enables local residents to find local parks/open spaces, clubs, community groups and their activity sessions near them.

(1) Active Lives Survey 2017/18

(2) Active Lives Survey 2018

(3) Richmond Group, 2016

(4) Sport England Briefing Note (Tackling Inactivity: Key Work to Support Health Care Professionals) 2019

(5) Lowe, A., Gee, M., McLean, S., Littlewood, C., Lindsay, C., & Everett, S. (2018). Physical activity promotion in physiotherapy practice: a systematic scoping review of a decade of literature. British journal of sports medicine, 52(2), 122-127.

(6) Chatterjee, R., Chapman, T., Brannan, M. G., & Varney, J. (2017). GPs' knowledge, use, and confidence in national physical activity and health guidelines and tools: a questionnaire-based survey of general practice in England. British Journal of General Practice, 67(663), e668-e675.