Insight - Language / labels.  Large segment who sees ‘physical activity’ and don’t want to get involved / turn off.  Need to know what’s important to people and place physical activity in that – culture, nature, family, art.  How are we upskilling social prescribers to unpick that with clients and have those conversations? Consider family approach too. Re young families – childcare is a key issue/ barrier. Covid may have had an negative impact on some families in relation to employment circumstances, family time and recreation time may have reduced even more.

 

Segment groups and have offers accordingly. . Also consider the opposite in terms of inclusivity to groups – for example balance between pregnancy/ post-natal specific groups and also upskilling staff to support pregnant and post-natal women who come to non-specific groups. 

 

Adult learning finding that fitness classes couldn’t meet demand lately.  Instructors have left because of covid and got other jobs.  Being an instructor is not a secure job so impact on ability to put on provision.

 

Embedded belief in people that ‘I am not sporty’ and so don’t engage in physical activity as equate the 2.  Need to understand how people want to be active and provide that.

 

Covid – working from home – has either given people the time to be active or it has stopped it as people are sat more and not moving around and also not motivated. Also consider opportunities closer to home and in the community to support easy access. Some members of the public may have reduced commuting time per week which might have included exercise stop.

 

Individuals perception of themselves / activity and therefore their level of motivations – mild frailty and need to attend group but don’t identify as ‘old’ ‘frail’ and so need something else more relevant to them.  One size does not fit all.  They need to see themselves in the activity put on and it needs to be enjoyable.

The term “frailty” probably only has value in a clinical / NHS context. “Staying strong” / “feeling good” / “moving more” tend to be the terms used elsewhere in the country, where the idea of focusing on (positive) characteristics of a good life are used.
One size does not fit all. 

Activity from gardening, walking to dance etc.

 

Specific groups – e.g. Pregnant woman – would like to attend a condition specific group for being active with other women.

 

Signposting - Long term conditions patients are told in hospital to be more active but given no help with what / where.

 

Conversation before being active is about looking at wellbeing and isolation – mental health.  How to start the conversation earlier with people that looks at mental health needs.

 

Transport / access – especially for certain groups – frail, low socio-economic groups.  Befrienders / buddies to help people get to a place and also to feel confident to take part. More local, community based offers needed. Car or bus often heavy relied on to access facilitates. Cost implications. 

 

What people want does not exist yet so need to understand ‘want’ and provide it

 

Lack of instructors.

Childcare - availability / costs

Costs of activity

 

Eligibility criteria – excludes groups.

 

Meeting culture – zoom , back to back, no opportunities / encouragement to move.  How can we build activity in – walking meetings, workplace health.

 

Some partners don’t see their role as necessary in this area - Engage with transport and highways teams – need to look at access, cycling, walking for pleasure and to work.  Pedestrianisation.  How can we bring these partners on this journey with us.

 

Security – older people, children, families – areas they won’t go to, times of the day, lighting.

 

Terrain and how suitable is it for frail, elderly, disabled.

 

Facebook can scare people off areas / activities.

 

Certain partners need 1-1 conversations to explore their part to play in creating environments for being active.

 

Who has the first contact with residents / clients and if we focus on wellbeing and how people feel before launching straight into being active.  Need to know the offer in order to signpost effectively.

 

Understand what drives people.  Understand the different populations.  Actively listen.  Start with motivation and why? 

 

Have health and wellbeing / MECC in procurement and contracts – LA, CCG

 

Consider incentivising GP’s and consider how wider primary care staff can play their part rather than rely on the GP.

 

What data do we have?  - Active Lives survey -  plus?

 

Weight stigmatisation – need to avoid this through the physical activity work – not a blame language.  How are people having ‘motivating conversations’.  Focus on wider impacts of PA on wellbeing and not weight focused.

 

 

Key work together on inequalities in this arena.

 

 

Address those adversely affected by Covid – LTC, fear and anxiety, carers, 

 

 

Covid has shown an increase in cycling and walking and so demonstrates if you remove barriers then it does help with behaviour change.

This is done for people participating in “Get Up and Go”, exercise and balance sessions. “Timed up and go” (TUG) and “Falls Efficacy Scale – International (FES-i)  standard measures are taken at the beginning, at 12 weeks and at 24 weeks to measure progress and provide feedback to participants.

Create our own survey and have a wider pool than active lives.  Case studies

 

 

PA is multidimensional so need to measure a number of things.  (Bristol example)

Help people appreciate that it all counts – whether they are walking, gardening, involved in sports, ironing etc.

Take it to the grassroots more and involve communities

Perhaps find a strapline like the Five Ways to Wellbeing – easy to understand and engage with – and build momentum around that

Combine moving with other interests – I remember a community in Greater Manchester that first encouraged young people to do some art (rock art, I’m not sure?) and hide it.  They followed this up with a competition to see who would discover the greatest number of hidden art works scattered all over the surrounding area. It got young people-and the adults who wanted to be sure the young people were safe - involved and moving.

 

 

Insight - Language / labels.  

Specific groups – e.g. Pregnant woman – would like to attend a condition specific group for being active with other women. There is a lack of structured physical activity programs for maternal women, from preconception through to postnatal. 

 

Children/ young people – the pandemic has reduced the availability and opportunity for children to play in outdoor spaces and join in play activities from 0-19, according to research this delay has impacted on the communication skills as well as physical activity skills/developments usually acquired during the early years and life stages children transition through.

 

Lack of instructors. PA Training is key to build the capacity of qualified trainers within the community, this helps sustain physical activity programs in the local areas. This can be from level 1 upwards through volunteers and paid staff.

Integral in contracts and in staff induction programmes

Utilise Data: NCMP for children

Agree that need to:
Introduce more targeted PA interventions for specific groups identified through the mapping/survey

 

Focus on being active more than exercise – e.g., Organise park run – see it as joining a community that is more a social activity and being active is a side product.  This makes it less daunting and less stressful.

Make sure we set up a diversity of offer that connects with people and they can see themselves doing it and it’s not daunting.

From an occupational health perspective, the issues is the impact of work on people’s ability, time and energy.  Following a long shift and tired it needs a lot of motivation to get into activity and if this is seen as daunting as well then it is hard.

The language we use is that we focus on the word ‘activity’ not exercise.

Now older – activity was when I was young.  Now it’s trying to find something for me that is not during the working day, and things I want to do seem to be during the day when I am at work.  Walking football; Men v Fat; Brackmills walking group.

Fear of getting together after covid.

Older people can give up the idea of being active.  Need to encourage a culture of ‘we are never too old’ and keep people understanding that every little helps