More movement, more often

World Mental Health Day brings a welcome opportunity to shine a light on mental health awareness.

With mental health issues on the rise, action is needed now.

But how can we deliver this change through a system that, as outlined by the Darzi report, is on its knees after years of neglect?

This is the genuine challenge that the Government and policymakers face, and while work on the future of the NHS continues, I believe we still have an incredible opportunity – through sport and physical activity – to deliver real change for mental health outcomes.  

Earlier this week I sponsored a roundtable meeting in Parliament which focused on the role of physical activity in supporting improved mental health – and how the healthcare system can do more to support people to be active as part of their treatment. 

The evidence shows that being active has a profoundly positive impact on mental health. New research from an upcoming Sport England report has found that in 2022/2023, 1.3 million cases of depression were prevented through active lifestyles.

And being active can save our services money too; the report also calculated that reduced mental health service usage, thanks to sport and physical activity, saved £780 million. 

The annual Active Lives Survey demonstrates a clear positive link between activity levels and mental wellbeing.

While some activity is good, more is better.
 

Adults with higher wellbeing scores and without a diagnosed mental health condition are more likely to be active than others.

In fact, nearly two thirds of people (65%) without a mental health condition are active – but just over half (53%) with a mental health condition are active. 

The NHS, despite the challenges it faces, remains a deeply trusted organisation; more than half of adults say they look to the NHS for advice on how to be active.

Our health system and the dedicated people that run it is uniquely placed to support and encourage people to be active, and to empower them to enjoy better mental health.

In fact, nearly all (99%) of NHS Talking Therapy staff – those at the forefront of helping patients – say physical activity is important in improving outcomes for people with common mental health conditions, like anxiety. 

So, what can the healthcare system do to improve mental health?

As was done in Parliament yesterday, with a cohort of experts and leaders coming together, better connecting the health system with the sport and physical activity sector is a welcome start. 

From there, we can build meaningful change.

Every interaction with the health system should be seized upon as an opportunity to encourage people experiencing poor mental health to be active. 

We can train clinicians to routinely talk about physical activity within their practices and connect community exercise and activity groups with local health services – particularly in communities that are more like to report poor mental wellbeing. 

We can prioritise and integrate physical activity within mental health prevention and treatment pathways and plans, making it as important as other forms of intervention.

We can encourage and normalise active working cultures so that everyone has the opportunity to be active in their daily life.

When I was a junior doctor, I developed a passion for keeping people well.

When my colleagues were interested in mending a broken bone, I wanted to know how we could stop it breaking in the first place. 

We do not have to accept poor mental health as inevitable.

More movement, more often, to protect mental health from being broken, is my priority as an MP and I will do all I can to deliver this.