Strength messaging project

It’s widely recognised that physiotherapy workers have direct and trusted relationships with their patients and are considered – by their patients and other health professionals – to be the movement experts. For this project, we’ve spoken to people with long-term conditions (LTCs) and with CSP members to understand more about experiences, the barriers, perceived benefits and motivating factors to strengthening activities before and during lockdown.

Members: 

• motivating factors to strengthening activities before and during lockdown. 
• Strongly believe strengthening to be important and understand the benefits 
  • 34% of adults aged over 55 don't meet the strengthening guidelines
  • 1 in 3 of these, cited their LTC as the reason for not undertaking these activities.
  • More than 15 million people in England live with at least one long-term condition
  • So far we've spoken to people with LTCs and CSP members to understand more about their experiences
• Frequently provide strengthening advice to patients 
• Willing messengers for this initiative 
• Have mixed knowledge of guidelines and how useful they are  
• Face challenges when offering advice including 

          - Low patient understanding/motivation 
          - Patient contact time
          - Lack of resources 

• Report that sometimes contradictory advice from other HCPs can be a challenge. 

People with long-term conditions: 

• Can confuse strengthening activities with moderate physical activity  
• Desire to understand more about strengthening 
• Find short-term benefits related to ‘doing more’ and ‘feeling better’ more motivating than longer-term medical benefits 
• Finds their health condition inhibits activity or would deteriorate as a result. 

Motivation 

Members have shared that most patients are often receptive to advice during appointments, but then this is often ignored or not followed afterwards. 

• People with LTCs are thought to be more motivated to do more strengthening activities if they: 

        - have experienced a sudden, traumatic health ‘event’  
        - are private patients (who may have proactively sought out physio support)
        - notice improvement in their condition   

Barriers 

• The main barrier consistently shared by people with LTCs is that they don’t know enough about strengthening activities. 
• People with LTCs find emotional barriers, including low mood and fear of embarrassment, most restricting 
• Practical barriers including lack of time or low energy tend to be overlooked when giving strengthening advice 
• Physio staff are often associated with short-term treatment of injury and recovery, with patients not looking to them for longer-term health, lifestyle and behavioural advice 

Recommendations  

• Members would like to see more resources; increased appointment time; an inclusive/accessible initiative that raises widespread awareness 
• People with LTCs would like to see an initiative they can relate to  
• Both members and people with LTCs suggested that setting a specific, memorable target with tailored guidance would be most effective. 

Muscle strengthening activities should be done at least two days a week, but any strengthening activity is better than none.’ UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, September 2019

Now we're working to identify a concept that will work best to support you and your patients.  To stay up to date with the project and be involved in the creative process visit Strength messaging project