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SUPPORTING ADULTS WITH LONG TERM HEALTH CONDITIONS

Resources for Specific Long Term Health Conditions

Resources for All Long Term Health Conditions

Active Opportunities: Local & National

RESOURCES FOR SPECIFIC LONG TERM HEALTH CONDITIONS

Find e-learning, conversation guides, activity ideas and downloadable resources by long term condition to help make it quick and easy to support people to become more active.

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Find e-learning, conversation guides, activity ideas and downloadable resources by long term condition to help make it quick and easy to support people to become more active.

DOWNLOAD

VIDEO CONTENT

WEBSITE LINK

Arthritis

Mental Health

Stroke

Perioperative Care

Parkinson’s

Osteoporosis and other MSK Conditions

Falls and Frailty

Diabetes

Dementia

Asthma, COPD and other Lung Conditions

Cancer

Cardiovascular Disease

Moving Medicine Conversation Guide

Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guide to help you have good quality conversations about how moving more helps manage this long term condition.

Anxiety - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guide to have high quality conversations about the benefits of physical activity for people with anxiety.

Depression - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guide to have high quality conversations about the benefits of physical activity for people with depression.

Stroke - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Perioperative care - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Parkinson's - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Type 1 Diabetes - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Falls and Frailty - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Musculoskeletal Pain - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Type 2 Diabetes - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

COPD - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guide to help you have good quality conversations about how moving more helps manage COPD.

Cancer - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Ischaemic heart disease - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Dementia - Moving Medicine

Step-by-step guides to help you have good quality conversations about physical activity. Just pick how much time you’ve got, 1 minute, 5 minutes or more!

Exercise Ideas

Miles for mental health

Miles for mental health, a challenge for people to undertake to increase physical activity and improve mental health.

Physical activity and your mental health

Information about how physical activity can help with mental health conditions, tips for choosing an activity that works for you, and how to overcome anything that might stop you from becoming more active.

5 ways to get moving and feel better

A short video from Mind for five ways to get moving and feel better:

Mental Health and swimming

Almost half a million British adults with mental health problems have stated swimming has helped to reduce the number of visits to a medical professional regarding their mental health. This fact sheet from Swim England covers how you are able to participate in swimming and other disciplines, if you experience mental health problems.

Mental Health Foundation: Tips for moving more

Practical tips and general advice about how to get moving more for better mental health.

Getting moving after a stroke

Information from the Stroke Association on how being active can boost recovery, confidence and wellbeing after a stroke.

Let’s Move for Surgery

In the Surgery Toolkit from Versus Arthritis, you'll find tailor-made, follow-along exercise routines for hip, shoulder and knee replacement, as well as full body workouts to help people maintain overall fitness.

How can being active help you prepare for heart surgery

Information from the British Heart Foundation on how physical activity could help before surgery.

Home Video Workouts from Parkinson's UK

A range of video workouts to help people with Parkinson’s stay active at home from chair-based aerobics to balance exercises.

Physical Activity and Exercise with Parkinson's

Information from Parkinson’s UK on how physical activity and exercise can help people live well with Parkinson’s including an activity finder for local groups, support and social activities in and around Surrey.

Exercise Fund — Neuro physio led exercise classes in partnership with Parkinson’s UK

Neuro Heroes, an online physical activity provider for people with neurological conditions is helping to remove the financial barrier to physical activity by subsidising six classes for people with Parkinson’s who would otherwise be unable to join. The online sessions are designed to target specific symptoms and help people improve their balance, strength, coordination and flexibility.

Exercise for bones

Information from the Royal Osteoporosis Society on exercise that is good for your bones and examples of muscle strengthening exercises.

Exercise and physical activity for osteoporosis

A collection of exercise routines and movements that are safe for someone with osteoporosis from the Royal Osteoporosis Society.

Swimming with musculoskeletal conditions

This fact sheet explains the benefits of exercise in water for MSK conditions as well as how to participate in swimming and other aquatic options if patients have a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition.

Surrey strength & balance (falls) classes (activesurrey.com)

Evidence based Otago Strength and Balance Exercise Programme to reduce falls in frailer older people. Find a list of Otago classes and instructors on the Active Surrey website.

Let’s Get Steady falls prevention advice and information from Guildford and Waverley Health and Care Alliance

Here you can watch two local firefighters demonstrating strength and balance exercises from the Get Up and Go booklet, which is produced by Saga and The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Stay Active at Home

Strength and balance exercises for older adults from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.

Physical activity and exercise from Alzheimer's Society

Leading a physically active lifestyle can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people with dementia. This web page explains why being physically active is important for people with dementia. It gives examples of suitable exercises and physical activities for people in different stages of the condition and suggests how much activity is appropriate.

Meaningful activities from Dementia UK

Physical activity information, advice and suggestions which a person with dementia may like to do around the home.

Alzheimer’s Table Tennis Therapy

Table tennis instructional video, downloadable warm-up exercise posters, simple game ideas, and coaching tips perfect for older people, active ageing, and table tennis Alzheimer’s therapy from the Bounce Alzheimer’s Therapy foundation.

Exercising with a heart problem

Exercise tips and information from the British Heart Foundation.

Home Exercise Videos from Heart UK

Exercise tips and information from Heart UK including a range of exercise videos from Heart K and CP+R (Clinical Prevention & Rehabilitation).

The British Heart Foundation 10 minute workout

British Heart Foundation Physical Activity Specialist offers tips on how to be active every day and demonstrates a 10-minute workout which can be done at home.

How can being active help you prepare for heart surgery

Information from the British Heart Foundation on how physical activity could help before surgery.

Exercise and Breast Cancer

Top tips and where to start with exercise from Breast Cancer Now including exercising during treatment.

Exercise videos for after treatment for breast cancer

Eight exercise videos from Breast Cancer Now to help start or restart exercise after treatment.

Physical activity and cancer

Information from Macmillan Cancer Support on being active during treatment and exercise recommendations

MOVE Charity - Cancer, Support, Exercise

MOVE Charity was founded in 2016 by international athlete Gemma Hillier-Moses to provide people with the support that she never received when she was diagnosed with cancer aged 24. Move against cancer offers a FREE 8-week online building foundations programme for 13-30 year olds living with & beyond cancer.

Move your way exercise sessions

A group of resources to help inspire, support & educate people in their journey to Moving Against Cancer. The resources include educational workshops, ‘Move Your Way’ exercise sessions, Q&A’s, as well as a range of educational blogs and articles.

Keeping active with a lung condition

This information from Asthma + Lung UK explains the benefits of being active and gives practical advice on how to get started. It also gives an overview of what to expect on a pulmonary rehabilitation course.

Getting active with asthma

Information and top tips from Asthma + Lung UK on keeping active with asthma.

Gardening and asthma

Information on how gardening can benefit asthma, avoid asthma symptoms and deal with triggers in the garden.

Asthma + Lung UK: Feel Good Fridays

Weekly Zoom sessions that include chair based Zumba - these are designed to be fun, improve breathlessness and increase mobility!

Diabetes and Exercise

Information from Diabetes UK on the benefits of being active when you have diabetes, different activities to try and how being more active can affect blood glucose (sugar) levels.

Free exercise videos, phone support and extras

Diabetes UK have a range of free resources to help people living with Diabetes to get moving.

Exercising with Arthritis

Top tips and specific exercises from Versus Arthritis Physical Activity Support.

Let’s Move

A free programme from Versus Arthritis for people with arthritis who want more movement in their lives.

Let’s move with Leon

A 12-week programme of 30-minute movement sessions, presented by fitness expert Leon Wormley. The programme has been created for people with Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions who want more movement in their lives. Created by Versus Arthritis and funded by Sport England.

Let’s Move for Surgery

In the Surgery Toolkit from Versus Arthritis, you'll find tailor-made, follow-along exercise routines for hip, shoulder and knee replacement, as well as full body workouts to help people maintain overall fitness.

Swimming with musculoskeletal conditions

This fact sheet explains the benefits of exercise in water for MSK conditions as well as how to participate in swimming and other aquatic options forf people have a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition.

Stories

Get active, feel good - Sujan's story

Sujan found that joining a jogging group helped her manage her anxiety and panic attacks. In this video she shares her story.

Rebecca – We Are Undefeatable

Rebecca was training as a physiotherapist when she was diagnosed with her Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As her condition progressed, she found it increasingly hard to be active. Joining a wheelchair dance group helped her manage the depression that came about after her diagnosis, and has become one of the activities she loves the most.

Zoe - We Are Undefeatable

After her stroke, Zoe found that being consistent with her exercises helped her to recover and get back to doing the things she loved.

Andy's strong story - The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Andy, who had a stroke on holiday shares how exercise and strengthening and conditioning makes him feel better.

Jagdeep - We Are Undefeatable

Jagdeep’s Parkinson’s diagnosis came as a shock, but after some research, he decided to take up boxing.

John - We Are Undefeatable

John was determined to do something for himself and his friends also diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and so they created their own walking football team for people with Parkinson’s and stroke survivors.

Ila's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Ila and her daughters all manage a variety of health conditions – and they all lean on each other for support.

Mahesh's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Mahesh has recently turned to online yoga to help manage some of the symptoms of his conditions.

Chris' Story - We Are Undefeatable

Chris has gone from hiding his Type 1 Diabetes to playing football with an entire team of players living with diabetes.

Meg - We Are Undefeatable

Meg fits in little moments of activity into her daily life with Type 2 diabetes.

Zahoor's Story - We Are Undefeatable

After being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, Zahoor made a point of finding more ways to fit activity into his life.

Tommy's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Tommy has gotten creative with how he keeps moving around the home to help keep the “black dog” of dementia at bay.

Julie and Peter's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Peter supports Julie as she lives with Alzheimer’s, including getting both of them out to the park for a run.

Ian's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Ian’s home work-outs allow him to stop and start, working around his energy levels and his lung condition.

Krisina's Story - We Are Undefeatable

On the days she can, Krisina finds ways to run while managing her asthma.

Ila's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Ila and her daughters all manage a variety of health conditions – and they all lean on each other for support.

Heraldo's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Heraldo has found ways to stretch muscles he didn’t even know he had after his heart surgery.

Inspiring Stories - Heart Matters, British Heart Foundation

Inspiring stories by survivors on how they have coped with a sudden heart event.

Heraldo's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Heraldo has found ways to stretch muscles he didn’t even know he had after his heart surgery.

Darlaine - We Are Undefeatable

Darlaine has managed to get active whilst living with breast cancer thanks to the support of her sister and their shared sense of humour.

Ellie's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Ellie has discovered an entire community of dragon boat paddlers because of her breast cancer.

Meena's Story - We Are Undefeatable

For Meena, swimming means relieving her arthritis and calming her mind.

Linda's Story - We Are Undefeatable

Linda has to more than just navigate the ins and outs of living with arthritis; she has to help her husband manage his conditions as well.

Journal Articles / Reports

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews

A large new analysis of meta-studies finds that exercise is more beneficial for conditions such as anxiety and depression than standard psychotherapy or medications.

World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative

The World Guidelines for Falls aim to provide a framework and expert recommendations to healthcare and other professionals working with older adults on how to identify and assess the risk of falls. They recommend which interventions, alone or in combination, should be offered to older people as part of a person-centred approach to preventing and managing falls.

‘Fit for Frailty’

The British Geriatric Society along with Age UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners have produced the document ‘Fit for Frailty’ which gives an overview of Frailty and treatment strategies including physical activity.

Training and Guidance for Health & Exercise Professionals

Mind Mental Health and Physical Activity Toolkit

This toolkit aims to increase the number of sport, physical activity and mental health providers who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support and engage people experiencing mental health problems in physical activity.

e-learning: Mental health awareness for sport and physical activity, Mind

A four-module course - developed in partnership with 1st4sport and UK Coaching to give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to better understand and support people living with mental health problems and to create a positive environment that ensures they enjoy the benefits of being active and keep coming back for more.

Rethink Mental Illness: A physical activity toolkit for support groups

This resource is aimed at support group coordinators and members, and anyone supporting people severely affected by mental illness who want to be more active. It is designed to be a ‘first stop shop’, your first reference point, to help you on your journey to support your group members to be more physically active.

ESCAPE-pain facilitator training for knee, hip and back pain

The ESCAPE-pain facilitator training consists of a 1.5 day course, covering ESCAPE-pain for hips, knees and backs. The programmes have been successfully delivered in outpatient physiotherapy departments, leisure centres and local community settings by physiotherapists, osteopaths and exercise professionals.

ESCAPE-pain e-learning

Each e-Learning session is free and takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, with the aim of improving providers’ understanding of what the programme involves and to prepare for the facilitator training.

Age UK Seated Exercise Training

An online training course for individuals who want to deliver chair-based exercise sessions for groups of older people who have compromised mobility. This training is ideal for care or activity assistants.

Guidance for setting up strength and balance exercise programmes

Guidance for setting up strength and balance exercise programmes from The National Falls Prevention Co-ordination Group (NFPCG).

OTAGO Exercise Programme Leader – Later Life Training

A training course for health and exercise professionals in the delivery of the evidence-based Otago strength and balance exercise programme to reduce falls in frailer older people.

Swim England: Dementia Friendly Swimming Project

This Dementia Friendly Swimming Project was developed to enhance the swimming experience of those living with dementia and their carers by improving facilities and removing barriers.

Dementia-friendly sport and physical activity guide

A practical guide from Alzheimer’s Society for the sport and physical activity sector to become more dementia friendly. It provides tools and guidance so that the sector can help more people affected by dementia lead more active lives.

ESCAPE-pain facilitator training for knee, hip and back pain

The ESCAPE-pain facilitator training consists of a 1.5 day course, covering ESCAPE-pain for hips, knees and backs. The ESCAPE-pain programme is a 6 week (12 session) rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain, that integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with an exercise regimen individualised for each participant. The flexibility of ESCAPE-pain means it can be delivered in a variety of locations and by a range of professionals. The programmes have been successfully delivered in outpatient physiotherapy departments, leisure centres and local community settings by physiotherapists, osteopaths and exercise professionals.

ESCAPE-pain e-learning

Each e-Learning session is free and takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, with the aim of improving providers’ understanding of what the programme involves and to prepare for the facilitator training.

E-learning

Health Education England: Mental health conditions

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on mental health conditions.

Health Education England: Cardiovascular conditions

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on people living with cardiovascular conditions.

Parkinson's: physical activity and exercise (Excellence Network)

This free 2 hour course from Parkinson’s UK is for people who provide or promote physical activity and exercise to people with Parkinson's. This may be in a leisure centre, health care setting or in the community.

Health Education England - Muscular Skeletal Health

This free session examines the positive impact of physical activity on musculoskeletal health.

Health Education England - Muscular Skeletal Health

This free session examines the positive impact of physical activity on musculoskeletal health.

Health Education England - Older Adults

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on older people.

Health Education England - Type 2 Diabetes

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on diabetes.

Emotional Wellbeing | Diabetes UK CPD

This 90-minute free session will equip you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support people living with diabetes with their emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Health Education England: Cardiovascular conditions

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on people living with cardiovascular conditions.

Health Education England: Cancer Conditions

This free session discusses the positive impact of physical activity on people living with cancer.

Falls Prevention Guide for Care Home Staff

Guildford & Waverley Falls Prevention Guide for Care Home Staff

The aim of this Falls Prevention Guide is to raise awareness of falls, the consequences of falls and the recording off falls within the care home environment. It also outlines how a lack of physical exercise is a risk factor for falls and shares some exercise programmes that can help prevent falls.

Exercise Providers and Programmes

Bounce Alzheimer’s Therapy

Providing table tennis equipment, therapy programs, and staff training to care settings specialising in dementia, hitting back at Alzheimer's with the power of ping pong.

Love to Move | British Gymnastics Foundation

This Love to Move Programme is an age and dementia friendly seated gymnastics programme.

REASSURING THE PEOPLE YOU SUPPORT

For the overwhelming majority of people, physical activity is safe, even for those living with symptoms from multiple medical conditions.

The benefits of physical activity for your patients / clients with long term conditions are well documented. Simply put, any amount of movement will be beneficial and there is usually no need to gain 'permission' from health professionals, provided patients start gradually.

Read Moving Medicine’s consensus statement on risk Learn more about the health benefits of physical activity

RESOURCES FOR ALL LONG TERM HEALTH CONDITIONS

Ways to Move

Ways to Move

We Are Undefeatable is a movement encouraging people living with long term health conditions to build more movement into their routine, developed by 15 leading health and social care charities and backed with National Lottery funding from Sport England.

Freedom to move - easy-to-follow exercise videos featuring Bill Bailey, encouraging people to be more physically active by simply engaging in everyday movements that contribute to daily exercise.

Make Your Move free activity videos provide ideas on how to get moving at home with the help of experienced instructors, with a gentle starting point and options for progressing.

Ways to move – activity inspiration, as well as resources to help people get started.

15 ways to move poster showing a range of activity ideas to help people move more at home throughout the day

Start building small amounts of activity into your day with Five in Five, a five minute mini-workout designed for people living with long term health conditions.

My Daily Undefeatable – Activity Tracker

Conversation starter – Ideas to help people move in a way that works for them

We are Undefeatable flyer – how the campaign can help people manage their health condition with a summary of all the available resources

S.O.F.A. - Download THE free guide for some fun and simple ways to get started moving more at home using your S.O.F.A. - no fancy equipment required.

Building Strength

‘Stronger My Way’ is a campaign from The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.

People living with long term conditions have specific challenges and barriers when it comes to strengthening. Resources from this campaign can be used to empower your patients to improve and maintain their strength, so they can do the things that matter the most.

Reducing the risk of some cancers (print)

Strengthening exercises: Physio-approved accessible activities that require little space and no expensive equipment

Activities to help improve strength - How the different activities people may already be doing can help to strengthen the different muscles in their body

Moving Medicine

Moving Medicine

An evidence-based, online tool providing healthcare professionals with one, five, and more-minute conversation guides by condition to help integrate physical activity into routine clinical care.

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Virtual Village Hall

Virtual Village Hall

The Virtual Village Hall is an online activity hub and community, designed to help people stay physically and mentally active, connected and having fun. Sessions are led by expert tutors and some well-known faces and require very little space or equipment.

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Local Services and Groups

CONNECT 2 SUPPORT SURREY

Find local care and groups to help the people you support to stay independent, healthy and connected to their community.

SURREY COALITION OF DISABLED PEOPLE

Access to advice and support to help adults with disabilities living in Surrey to get more active.

Water-based activities

Swimming and other water-based activities can provide more movement opportunities for people who find it difficult to be physically active on land.

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