A new public health initiative called Moving Medicine for Everybody has launched in the UK to provide practical, evidence-based advice on physical activity for people living with long-term health conditions. The platform is designed to help patients and healthcare professionals incorporate movement into everyday care, with a focus on reducing barriers for those who may feel uncertain or anxious about exercise.
The initiative comes as more than half of UK adults are estimated to be living with at least one long-term condition, including neurological, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders. Physical inactivity is estimated to cost the UK economy £7.4 billion annually, with around £1 billion of that burden falling on the NHS.
The website has been developed through a partnership between Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK and Nuffield Health, alongside partners including Sport England. It builds on the existing Moving Medicine programme, which has previously focused on helping clinicians discuss physical activity during consultations.
The new public-facing resource offers condition-specific advice, symptom management guidance and digital tools designed to help users understand how to move safely. Features include interactive resources, a conversational coachbot and information co-developed with patients and health charities.
According to programme leaders, the aim is to move away from older models where patients were routinely advised to seek medical clearance before beginning exercise. Instead, the resource promotes a more patient-led approach that encourages people to make informed decisions about activity in line with international guidance.
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Dr Natasha Jones said many people with chronic conditions are advised to be more active but are rarely given practical information about how to start safely. She said the platform was designed to provide trusted information that patients can access at their own pace.
The launch follows concerns that too few people with chronic illness are being advised about exercise in primary care, despite strong evidence that physical activity can improve both physical and mental health outcomes. The organisers say the initiative could help support a broader shift towards exercise being used more routinely as part of long-term disease management.
This news item has been summarised using AI and checked by humans before publication.
Sources
Nuffield Health report: Unlocking the Miracle Cure
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