Moving Together initiative will improve access to exercise for those with long-term conditions

Improving the pathway between health and physical activity for people living with long-term conditions is the ambition of Moving Together, a new two-year programme backed by the National Lottery.

Announced in the wake of the unveiling of the UK government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which outlines a shift to prevention, the Moving Together programme is being co-led by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM) and Active Partnerships National Organisation (APNO). It is being funded through Sport England.

The aim of the programme is to promote autonomy for people living with long-term health conditions, ensuring they feel empowered and supported to exercise. Setting up clear pathways between health and physical activity is also part of the intention and particularly moving the blocker of telling people to get clearance from their GP before exercising.

Dr Natasha Jones, president of FSEM and consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine, will lead the work. “For too long, people who stand to gain the most from increasing their physical activity, have come across systemic barriers which serve to undermine their confidence and autonomy,” she says.

“These barriers are not rooted in evidence. I’m delighted by the cross-sector positivity for this agenda which truly reflects the universal acceptance that there is a need for change. I’m confident our collaboration can and will make the necessary journey together.”

There’s been significant preparatory work with stakeholders across all sectors, including the consensus statement on risk which sets out how healthcare professionals should approach conversations with people who are worried about exercising making their condition worse.

APNO’s strategic health lead, Annie Holden, says: “The project will be truly cohesive, using a collaborative approach to work across both the health and physical activity sectors, to deliver our ultimate aim of ensuring that people living with long-term health conditions feel empowered to move more and that the people that work with them feel supported to help make that happen.”

Sport England’s strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy, Tom Burton, said lived experience will be at the heart of the approach: “This work builds upon multiple pieces of insight and evidence, including the consensus statement on risk and requires true cross-sector collaboration.

“Providing frictionless physical activity pathways for people living with the symptoms of long-term health conditions is a significant key to unlock many of the challenges faced by the sector in supporting people on their physical activity journey.”

Nuffield Health has partnered FSEM to work through the initial pilot phases and will remain involved throughout, working closely with leisure providers. Other include CIMSPA, NHS Horizons, the Richmond Group of Charities, and UK Active, as well as the 42 Active Partnerships from across the network.