Chapter 17 - Resources for Primary Care

Department of Health Physical Activity guidelines

The full set of 2011 updated physical activity guidelines and background supporting documents are accessible here. It includes summary evidence on Sedentary behaviour and Obesity.

Physical activity guidelines fact sheets for all ages available to hand out to patients or display.

Useful Web sites for more information and/or courses on Exercise Medicine

  • FYSS in English The Professionals Association for Physical Activity and Swedish National Institute of Public Health book has a downloadable file in English of their very comprehensive work on how to prevent and treat various diseases and conditions using physical activity. A fantastic reference work.
  • The Global Physical Activity Network Communicates the latest research from around the world. Sign up to a free fortnightly e-news letter with the latest research and developments on getting the global population more active.
  • The UK Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) You will find documents on the application of exercise medicine ‘A Fresh Approach’ and ‘A Fresh Approach in Practice’,which outline the benefits of sport and exercise services to patients and the NHS.
  • The British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) Have educational courses on sports medicine and exercise medicine and give you the grounding for a career in sport and exercise medicine.
  • The British Journal of Sport Medicine website, with leading journal articles on sports and exercise medicine. A very useful education section with excellent orthopaedic medicine examination videos, case histories, information on exercise medicine and BMJ learning material. Also plenty of blogs and podcasts to listen to.
  • The British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists (BASES) who produced the evidence behind the UK guidelines on physical activity. The BASES Position statement of the ABC of Physical Activity and Health published in the Journal of Sports Sciences.
  • Exercise prescription sheets The UK and international site for up to date, evidence based physical activity news via twitter account @exerciseworks and a vast resource section via its professional links section. Educational courses, Exercise prescription sheets, physical activity strategies and patient exercise booklets available to purchase by individuals or health care organisations. The director, Ann Gates is also a professional speaker on all topics related to physical activity.

Video’s to show in waiting rooms:

  • ‘No excuses’ A short YouTube video to help get over some of the common excuses.
  • 23-and-a-half-hours A superb cartoon video expressing the benefits of exercise. Millions of hits, worth watching and see why. 9 min long.
  • Lets make our day harder another cartoon video about avoiding being so sedentary.

Further Information for doctors

Cancer

Cardiac

Mental health

  • Open University Free online course on exercise and mental health for Health care professionals.

Motivational Interviewing and behaviour change

Obesity

Osteoarthritis

Sedentary Behaviour

  • Get Britain Standing The campaign to grow awareness and educate on the dangers of sedentary behaviour.

Further Information for Patients

  • Benefit from Activity Is the sister website of Motivate2Move for the public, using the facts and figures from Motivate2Move, but with the medical jargon taken out so to be easier for patients to understand. If a professional using Motivate2Move information engages with a member of the public and on health benefits from physical activity then they can ask the patient to use benefit from Activity to help and remind them of benefits. It has patient case histories and a work sheet is available on behaviour change on ‘How do I change’

Cancer and Exercise

  • Cancer Research UK Useful web site pages aimed at encouraging exercise as a way of reducing cancer risk.
  • Macmillan cancer support Information for those with cancer and after treatment. Ways to become active has links into activities near you.
  • The Christies Hospital The NHS specialist cancer hospital Patient Information Booklet. Good practical advice and diagrams for less mobile patients.

Cardiac Health and Exercise

COPD and Exercise

Diabetes and Exercise

  • Diabetes UK Information on exercise for diabetes and other advice on diabetes management.

Dementia and Exercise

  • Alzheimer’s society A document for patients with dementia giving practical ideas for exercise. Useful tips for those with advanced dementia and further links to help.

Disability and Exercise

Fibromyalgia and Exercise

Mental Health and Exercise

Multiple Sclerosis and Exercise

Musculoskeletal Health and Exercise

  • CSP website for doctors on physiotherapy advice and downloadable resources:
  • Versusarthritus : Exercise sheets for your patients.
    • Ankle sprain exercises
    • Back pain exercises
    • Knee pain exercises
    • Neck pain exercises
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Plantar fasciitis
    • ShoulderDoc.co.uk A website designed to provide information for patients and doctors on shoulder injuries.

Pain and Exercise

Parkinson’s Disease and Exercise

Pregnancy and Exercise

Sitting and Exercise

  • Getting Started Simple tips on increasing activity in your daily life.
  • Do you sit at a desk all day The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists has a useful set of exercises on a free pdf download for desk workers or even use yourself!
  • A Sitting poster From the Washington Post, display it in the office.
  • Get Britain Standing The campaign to grow awareness and educate on the dangers of sedentary behaviour.

Find an activity

  • Walk4life A useful walk site for the UK with a simple ordnance search map to look for walks anywhere in the UK and a useful widget device (puts their website direct on your own website). The widget can be loaded onto business websites, public companies websites etc. Individuals who sign up free can put their own walks on and monitor their own fitness via the website.
  • Walk Unlimited The home site of the organisation behind Walk4life and Benefit from Activity. They have several useful healthy websites and a site of ‘Dr maps’ with examples of maps which have been created for GP surgeries, hospitals or businesses. Why not get walking maps around your health establishment for yourself, staff and patients
  • Walking for Health England’s network of walking schemes.
  • Paths for All Scotland’s network of walking schemes.
  • Walk NI Northern Ireland’s network of walks and groups.
  • Sustrans. The cycle charity promoting cycling as a healthier, cleaner and cheaper mode of transport with plenty of advice and cycle routes available by a postcode search. Has the National Cycle Network on their site to access for routes near you.
  • English Federation of Disability Sport Organisation that supports and promotes sport for people with disabilities. Helps you find activities to suit the individual if you are disabled.

Tips for health professionals’s in promoting Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG).

  • Display the infographic PAG in a prominent place in your waiting rooms.
  • Have PAG infographic guidelines for each age group as hand-outs in your waiting room.
  • Print PAG on your FP10 prescriptions ‘right hand side’. Target different age groups and/or different disease groups or everyone. Set it for 2-3 months and repeat it 2-3 times a year so as to catch people’s attention.
  • Send exercise advice invitations to targeted disease groups e.g.: your hypertensive’s on your register.
  • Olympic legacy; obtain details from your local sport facilities, gyms, swimming pools, cycle ways, walking routes/groups, fitness classes, Pilates, Tai Chi, zumba etc. Display them by your PAG in the waiting room or on an activity page for health on your website.
  • Also on your website add the walk4life widget. It is easy to load on and is free. Find it on: Walk4life A useful site for the UK with a simple ordnance search map to look for walks anywhere in the UK. The widget can be loaded onto business websites, public companies websites etc (tell your patients). Individuals who sign up free can put their own walks on and monitor their own fitness.
  • When provided with the link to Motivate2move store it on your computer favorites. Check facts when you need to or look up further resources and information all from the one site. The website will be updated yearly.
  • If you have a health video channel in your waiting room run the You Tube videos of ‘Lets make our Day Harder’ and ’23-and-a-half-hours’.

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