Two hours of exercise a week reduces joint pain and visits to GP

"The findings are from an analysis of how 40,000 people in Greater Manchester with hip, back or knee pain fared when they did two one-hour exercise classes for 12 weeks. The impact on their lives was so great that it has led to calls for the NHS to make physical activity a standard part of treatment for the millions struggling with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions."

"They did two one-hour classes a week in a Nuffield gym, led by a rehabilitation specialist, and did exercises to boost their mobility, stability, strength and cardiovascular health. People who took part saw the following benefits: Had on average 35% less pain. Went to see their GP 29% less often. Took almost half as many sick days from work. Needed their family to look after them 21% less."

"Tailored, structured exercise is one of the most effective treatments for people with long-term conditions. If movement were a pill, it would be the most powerful drug on the planet, yet it remains under-prescribed. Integrating it as a treatment into mainstream healthcare would transform lives on a scale no drug could, said Dr Davina Deniszczyc, Nuffield Health's charity and medical director."

Forty thousand people in Greater Manchester with hip, back or knee pain completed a 12-week program of two one-hour structured exercise classes per week led by rehabilitation specialists in Nuffield gyms. Exercises targeted mobility, stability, strength and cardiovascular health. Participants experienced on average 35% less pain, 29% fewer GP visits, about half as many sick days and 21% less need for family caregiving. The program was offered free across 10 boroughs and was analysed alongside economic modelling. If 3.7 million Britons with untreated joint pain adopted two hours of weekly exercise, potential benefits to individuals, families, the NHS and the economy could reach £34bn.

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