Market research published report:
Bridging the gap: Understanding how to support people with long term health conditions to become more physically active

We Are Undefeatable’s ‘Big Talk’ public consultation was initiated to inform the resources the campaign should focus on developing, but it has delivered a unique set of insights worthy of review by anyone involved in supporting people with long-term health conditions (LTHCs).

Drawing together input from those with lived experience and from the networks that support them, the consultation provides a reference point not just for We Are Undefeatable but more broadly, building on existing evidence in this area.

The latest Active Lives data from Sport England reveal a continuing disparity between the activity levels of people with and without LTHCs or disabilities, and this disparity is leading to ever widening health inequalities. While findings in this consultation highlight that most do recognise the importance of physical activity when managing LTHCs, all too often, there are significant barriers. This consultation brings to prominence not only the pain and physical limitations many people with LTHCs have to contend with, but the fact that these challenges are not fully appreciated by others.

At the heart of the data we have collected also lies a separate conundrum: people naturally turn to the healthcare system for guidance on how to get active with a LTHC, but the NHS, challenged and under pressure, cannot adequately address their needs by itself.

Health charities are in a strong position to support the physical activity agenda due to their expertise in the management of LTHCs, more holistic perspective on wellbeing, and local reach and connections. Many participants felt they play a role other organisations simply cannot play. Charity involvement in We Are Undefeatable is therefore seen as both highly appropriate and important for trust and credibility.

Family/friends/carers can be a key source of enablement for people with LTHCs to become active, yet many feel ill-equipped and fear ‘making things worse’. There is an opportunity to provide them with reassurance and tailored advice so that they can confidently assist those they care for to be more active.

When it comes to helpful resources, people with LTHCs responded most favourably to the idea of easy to access workouts appropriate to their capabilities, combined with inspiration they can relate to. Professional audiences revealed a strong appetite for informational resources but the nature of what was relevant varied by sector. Across a number of question areas, responses from professionals also surfaced a fundamental need for greater leadership and engagement with the physical activity agenda at a local level.

We Are Undefeatable will act directly on many of the findings contained within this report and we have outlined our next steps in the final section. However, we acknowledge that some of the broader environmental and system issues surfaced can only be tackled collectively. Therefore, we pledge to share these insights far and wide and call upon all organisations with a relevant interest to consider how we may work together to support more people with LTHCs to be active in a way that works for them.

Click here to view the research project case study or the creative services case study, as the DJS Research in-house creative services team designed the report.