Transforming Gyms into Community MSK Hubs Project - Arthritis Action

Transforming Gyms into Community MSK Hubs Project

woman swimming in poolArthritis Action joined Good Boost, ukactive, Orthopaedic Research UK and ESCAPE-pain to create a health and fitness group consortium, researching and running a two-year pilot project titled ‘Transforming Gyms into Community Musculoskeletal (MSK) Hubs’.

The aim of the project was to explore how the leisure industry can help 20 million people living with arthritis and MSK conditions in the UK. The consortium worked with staff at leisure centres and swimming pools, to people living with arthritis and MSK conditions and transform these centres into local community MSK hubs.

The project was designed after 18 months of research and working with older adults, living with arthritis and MSK conditions, alongside healthcare professionals and ukactive leisure operators. It received funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of their Healthy Ageing Challenge.

Arthritis Action produced educational content that shared specialist knowledge and techniques to help break down some of the barriers to taking part in exercise, often experienced by people living with arthritis or long-term pain and mobility challenges.

As a consortium we provided the following interventions to help people living with MSK conditions get more active.

  • ESCAPE-pain: 6-week in-person course involving an instructor led set of exercises developed specifically for back, hip and knee osteoarthritis.
  • Good Boost: Tablet based session in the pool. Using AI developed from a specialist clinical team, the tablet will prescribe exercise to help manage your symptoms. This is done in the water by yourself, without a need for an instructor.
  • Arthritis Community Groups: Peer to peer support groups led by Leisure centre staff having carried out training provided by Arthritis Action.
  • Participants also had access to tablets with self-management resources from Arthritis Action including:
    • Planning and goal setting
    • Sleep and musculoskeletal conditions
    • Distraction and Relaxation
    • Gadgets and aids for arthritis
    • Mental health and emotional wellbeing
    • Nutrition and weight management
    • Pain management
    • Staying active
    • What is self-management

 

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