Research & Insights: Health & wellbeing
The latest research and insights on how physical activity is essential for our health and wellbeing.
Physical Activity is essential for all our health and wellbeing, but sometimes the people who could benefit the most, face the most barriers to getting active. Whether that is someone with a long-term health condition who isn't sure how to get started, or a pregnant woman who is unsure about exercising safely, we've gathered together research and insight below to help you support people to get active in ways that suit them.
Long term health conditions
Over 19 million adults in England live with one or more longstanding health conditions. These people are almost twice as likely to be inactive compared to people without a health condition.
We are Undefeatable
We are Undefeatable is a national campaign to support people who live with one or more long-term health conditions. It aims to help those with conditions such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis and Parkinson’s to build physical activity into their lives.
Visit the We are Undefeatable website.
Bridging the Gap Report - Understanding how to help people with long-term health conditions to become more physically active
Discover the findings and insight from We Are Undefeatable’s Big Talk: Public Consultation. This discussion gathered input from over 2,000 people, including those living with health conditions, their carers, friends and families, plus those with a professional interest in this area.
The report covers:
- The motivators and barriers that people living with long term health conditions face being active
- Why the NHS is only a starting point for people with health conditions to become more active
- How the ‘empathy gap’ may be hindering support for people with health conditions
- The pivotal role that health charities can and must play in supporting physical activity
- What friends, families and professionals need to feel more confident encouraging physical activity
- Why local leadership and coordination is a critical enabler
- The views of professionals across a range of sectors
View the Bridging the Gap Report
Covid 19 Impact report
This impact report draws upon a range of sources to provide a picture of physical activity attitudes and behaviours
amongst adults with long term health conditions (LTHCs),and how they have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Download the report:
Health conditions and physical activity
Understanding the impact of Covid-19
For access to further resources sign up to the We are Undefeatable Supporters Hub on their website.
England Swims - Spotlight on Health Conditions
Swim England carried out research with people with long term health condition, illness or disability that significantly impacts upon their lives, to understand the barriers to swimming for this group. The England Swims research looks at the perceptions of and barriers to swimming for those with a health condition and the uses a COM-B model to look at ways we can drive behavior change in this group
Pre and Post Natal
Local Insight
Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Beyond - Behavioural Insight Report
To better understand awareness of key guidance, perceptions of pre- and post-natal physical activity and barriers to engagement, in 2021 Active Lincolnshire commissioned Social Change UK to conduct Behavioural Insight research with four key audience groups:
• Pre- and post-natal residents (those who are going through pregnancy and/or have given birth in the previous 12 months)
• The general community (residents who had not been pregnant in the previous 12 months)
• Maternity care professionals
• Professionals working in the sport, physical activity and fitness sector
The research was carried out as part of our pre and post natal programme of work. Find out more about what we are doing in this area here.
Our initial scoping work highlighted a lack of awareness among pregnant individuals as to what activities are suitable to engage in during pregnancy and beyond, as well as perceived pressure on pregnant people to ‘sit down and slow down’ during pregnancy and lose weight following birth. Moreover, evidence suggests that pregnancy can cause individuals to experience fear due to the unfamiliarity of their changing bodies, reducing their confidence in engaging in physical activity. These findings informed the development of two surveys which collectively sought to better understand perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards engaging in physical activity in pregnancy and beyond with the view to identifying key areas of focus for behaviour change.
Active Pregnancy Foundation
The Active Pregnancy Foundation works to support women to stay active throughout pregnancy and beyond, by providing expertise & advice, changing culture & challenging policy. They provide a range of resources and guidance for new mums and mums to be, as well as working with professionals to offer advice, training and resources to help them support pre and post natal women. They have published a range of insight and research, including most recently MOMentum Lost: Unpicking Maternal Physical Activity Patterns in 2022
Click on the image below to view the report:
The Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) was launched by Sport England in April 2020 to make £20m of National Lottery funding available to support community groups in maintaining connections and physical activity opportunities in the recovery from Covid-19.
This evaluation, compiled by independent evaluator ROC Research Consultancy, retrospectively explored the TIF in Lincolnshire between November 2021 and February 2022 to understand how Active Lincolnshire, Sport England and partners across Lincolnshire worked collaboratively to find sustainable approaches to reduce health inequalities through physical activity using the TIF.
The report looks at questions including:
- How have organisations worked together with the TIF?
- How has the TIF impacted on health inequalities in the short term and long term?
- What learning can be used in to inform future work?
