All of our schemes are designed to help people increase, maintain or adapt their physical activities so that they might remain fitter and healthier for longer. While we offer a range of opportunities within our schemes, the number one aim is that participants will find sustainable ways of remaining active that work for them as individuals.
Evidence (see below) suggests that if people think about their choices, monitor progress and make plans to change then any changes will be sustained for longer periods.
This page contains tips for participants and information on how we go about supporting participants.
Contents
Getting Started
Planning ahead can improve the chances of maintaining your activity levels and some examples of activities that have been useful for many of our previous group members are included below:
- Arrange to exercise with a friend
- Find out about groups in your area
- Try new activities
- Buy some new trainers
- Use a pedometer
Staying Active
- Keep a diary and set some goals (ie walk every other day)
- Plan a combination of repeated exercise sessions and occasional new ones (eg new walks)
- Reward resilience…success will result from playing the long game.
What we can do for you
Our schemes are informed by a range of guidance and in particular, NICE guidance PH54 stresses the importance of using Behaviour Change Techniques. Specifically, it recommends the core techniques outlined in recommendations 7-10 of NICE Guidance PH 49, ‘Behaviour change: individual approaches’. This includes:
- Recognising when people may or may not be more open to change
- Agreeing goals and developing action plans to help change behaviour
- Advising on and arranging social support
- Tailoring behaviour change techniques and interventions to individual need
- Monitoring progress and providing feedback
- Developing coping plans to prevent relapse
References
Greaves, C. J., Sheppard, K. E., Abraham, C., Hardeman, W., Roden, M., Evans, P. H., & Schwarz, P. (2011). Systematic review of reviews of intervention components associated with increased effectiveness in dietary and physical activity interventions. BMC public health, 11(1), 119.
Horodyska, K., Luszczynska, A., van den Berg, M., Hendriksen, M., Roos, G., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Brug, J. (2015). Good practice characteristics of diet and physical activity interventions and policies: an umbrella review. BMC public health, 15(1), 19.
Michie, S., Richardson, M., Johnston, M., Abraham, C., Francis, J., Hardeman, W., … & Wood, C. E. (2013). The behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93 hierarchically clustered techniques: building an international consensus for the reporting of behavior change interventions. Annals of behavioral medicine,46(1), 81-95.