Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Letters Interventions to increase physical activity

Physical activity: manifold benefits for health and wellbeing

BMJ 2022; 376 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o815 (Published 30 March 2022) Cite this as: BMJ 2022;376:o815

Rapid Response:

Exercise the miracle cure, but government must step up the action.

Dear Editor
Dr Bethell is right to highlight the importance of lack of exercise as a risk factor for many important non communicable diseases including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, poor mental health and dementia.(1-3) However, like us, he is well aware that this effective intervention now needs a step change in government action.

Pioneers like Dr Bethell have been promoting physical activity over many decades.(4) He has had substantial success with different patient groups including cardiac rehabilitation. Other pioneers such as Alex Rotas and Tammy Parlour are also having success at challenging stereotypes and promoting physical activity.(5,6)

Alex has now taken her No Limits exhibition to Gothenburg.(7) It is a series of large photographs showing older athletes participating and enjoying different sporting activities. Hopefully, they will encourage more individuals to participate in health enhancing activities as well as sending a clear message to policy makers.

Since its foundation in 2012, the Women’s Sport Trust has helped to raise the visibility and increase the impact of women’s sport.(6) Their dynamic CEO Tammy Parlour, besides increasing the quantity of media coverage for a diverse group of female athletes, also aims through the Unlocked Programme to stimulate more women and girls to take up different sports.

We consider it to be very positive that Edward Timpson CBE MP recently led a debate at Westminster on making PE a core subject.(8) This is particularly apt at a time when many children’s physical fitness and their mental health and wellbeing are heading in the wrong direction.(8) Obesity, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, phone addiction and sleep deprivation will all have dire consequences on the future health of children. Physical activity is not just about making sure children are healthy but it also has the power to make sure they reach their potential, emotionally, mentally and academically.(8,9)

We also need to tackle the large disparities in participation rates in relation to age, disability, ethnic group and gender. Physical activity should be dynamically promoted to the whole population and directors of public health and their teams could play greater roles in promoting action in different settings.(10,11)

We call on the government to work with these pioneers across the country and to develop a long-term physical activity campaign. It needs to have elements in schools, workplaces, hospitals, the media and local communities.(3,12,13) Physical activity could have a huge part to play in moving our country forward and creating a healthier nation.

References
1) Bethell H. Re: Physical activity: manifold benefits for health and wellbeing. British Medical Journal Rapid Response, 12 April 2022.
https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o815/rr

2) Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Exercise: The miracle cure and the role of the doctor in promoting it. London: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, 2015.

3) BMA. Get a move on: steps to increase physical activity levels in the UK. Oct 2019. https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice/policy-and-research/public-and-p...

4) Bethell H. Website. [viewed 14th April 2022].
https://exercisefitnessandhealth.info/about-author/

5) Alex Rotas Photography - Promoting active ageing [viewed 14th April 2022]. Available from:
https://alexrotasphotography.co.uk/

6) Women’s Sport Trust. What do we do? [viewed 14th April 2022]. Available from: https://www.womenssporttrust.com/

7) Göteborg & Co. NO LIMITS. An exhibition by the British photographer Alex Rotas. [viewed 14th April 2022]. Available from:
https://goteborg2023.com/en/event/no-limits/

8) Hansard: Westminster. Physical Education. Parliamentary Debates. Hansard Volume 711, 153WH-170WH, 23 March 2022. [viewed 14th April 2022]. Available from:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-03-23/debates/BF1E4EE8-B3BE-4...

9) Lloyd J. Compassion through development of physical and mental health and well-being. In, Towards the Compassionate School. Ed. Maurice Irfan Coles. London: Trentham Books/IOE Press, 2015.

10) Watson M and Tilford S, 2016. Directors of public health are pivotal in tackling health inequalities. BMJ 2016;354:i5013.
https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i5013

11) BMA. Funding for ill-health prevention and public health in the UK. May 2017.
http://bit.ly/2quLN3K

12) Watson M C and Lloyd J. Seismic shift in policy needed to increase physical activity. BMJ 2015;350:h3486
https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h3486

13) World Health Organization. Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2018.

Competing interests: No competing interests

14 April 2022
Michael Craig Watson
Trustee, Institute of Health Promotion and Education.
Dr John Lloyd, Honorary Vice President, Institute of Health Promotion and Education.
Institute of Health Promotion and Education, PO Box 7409, Lichfield WS14 4LS, UK. http://ihpe.org.uk/