In any given week, one in five people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression), meaning that many of us are likely to either experience poor mental health or know someone who has (Mind). In parallel, we also know that long-term mental health or behavioural conditions are increasing in the working-age population, continuing an upward pre-pandemic trend. 13–15% of working-age people now report a long-term mental or behavioural health condition, up from 8–10% in the mid-2010s (IFS). This has also translated into an increased demand for services, such as NHS Talking Therapies where completed courses of treatment have increased 12% compared to pre-pandemic levels (NHS England). 

This Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation encourages us to think about the actions we can take to improve our mental health, to support the mental health of other people, and to advocate for society to support mental health. 

One way to boost mood, ease stress and get a better night’s sleep is through moving more. Some research suggests that even short periods of movement (just five to ten minutes) can release mood-boosting chemicals into our bodies (Sport England).

At an individual level, moving more doesn’t require a gym; instead, breaking up our day with stretching, walking, and chair exercises can all help our mental health. Over time, these can be built into daily habits. 

For health services, there are also meaningful ways to integrate movement into treatment pathways, such as NHS Talking Therapies. Movement and physical activity, delivered in the right way, can be highly valuable as part of an individual’s support and recovery, as well as providing opportunities for clinicians to be more active.

A three-year pilot in Camden and Islington and Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies found that physical activity incorporated into psychological treatments could contribute to positive effects on mental health outcomes (Royal College of Psychiatrists). 

Since then, we have been working to support Sport England continue to develop the evidence base on the benefits of movement and physical activity in NHS Talking Therapies.

Our findings suggest widespread appetite to increase physical activity through NHS Talking Therapies:

• 82% of surveyed service users strongly agree or agree that physical activity is important to them.
• 99% of surveyed staff identify that physical activity is very important to their service users, however only 17% of staff identified that they were satisfied with the support on offer (TPHC).

That is why, in partnership with Sport England, we are supporting three NHS Talking Therapies services to integrate physical activity into routine practice. These sites are all being supported through Sport England’s Place investment programme, which sees National Lottery and Exchequer funding targeted towards areas with high rates of inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequalities.

Our support to these services is shaped by what we know makes change sustainable: protected time within sessions for physical activity, group accountability and gradual, manageable increases (Royal College of Psychiatrists). We are supporting these services to develop their own local offers, drawing on their understanding of their service users’ needs, local expertise, and community assets. Sites lend mutual support to each other through communities of practice, and as we identify and gather learnings, we will make this available to all, building on the existing toolkit. 

This approach to working, which builds partnerships across sectors, directly speaks to the vision set out in the NHS 10 Year Plan. By working across the NHS, local authorities, physical activity partners and VCSE, we can strengthen understanding between partners and develop truly integrated pathways that are sustainable and support improved outcomes for all.  

As we mark this Mental Health Awareness Week, we remind ourselves that improving mental health is a collective effort. Whether it’s an individual choosing to move more, clinicians facilitating discussions about physical activity, or local providers and systems exploring integration, every action counts. We are proud of contributing to these developing areas and look forward to sharing more insights and learning as this work develops. 

References: 

Mental Health Foundation: Why we need action for good mental health

IFS: The role of changing health in rising health-related benefit claims

NHS England News: “NHS talking therapies completely changed my life”: NHS launches major campaign to support millions more people with anxiety

Mind: Mental health facts and statistics

Sport England: Mental Health Awareness Week

Royal College of Psychiatrists: Increasing Physical Activity in Psychological Treatment (IPAcT)

About the author

Emily is a Senior Consultant at TPHC, leading on various projects across mental health and public health. She has over 10 years of experience working in the public sector, with diverse roles encompassing project/programme management, transformation, policy, and financial strategy. She has led on a number of projects at TPHC, with a particular focus on projects delivering change across health and local government.