Who is parkrun really for?

Long-term conditions, perceptions of risk and the assumptions that might be stopping people from moving more. About this episode Is parkrun really for everyone? Our research with GP practices uncovered uncertainty about whether parkrun is appropriate for people living with long-term health conditions, older adults, people who don't see themselves as runners, and those who may be perceived as being at greater risk from physical activity. In this episode, Jess is joined by Katy and Andrew, who bring lived experience of managing long-term health conditions alongside their involvement in parkrun, patient advocacy and physical activity. Episode chapters 00:00 – Who is parkrun really for? 01:47 – Meet Katy and Andrew 04:18 – Does parkrun feel like it's for people with long-term conditions? 08:22 – What happens when you're diagnosed with a long-term condition? 13:20 – From blanket advice to personalised conversations 15:30 – Why might healthcare professionals be hesitant? 19:11 – What are the barriers from the patient's perspective? 24:44 – What if physical activity isn't the first ‘sell’? 26:19 – Can parkrun help reduce health inequalities? 29:17 – Bringing movement into routine healthcare 31:21 – What should healthcare professionals understand about movement and long-term conditions? Meet our guests Katy lives with rheumatoid arthritis and is a keen parkrun participant. She volunteers with Inflammatory Arthritis UK, where she advocates for people living with inflammatory arthritis, and co-hosts a podcast exploring the realities of day-to-day life with the condition. Andrew works as a Development Manager for Active Together, the Active Partnership for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. His work spans physical activity, general practice and secondary care. He has been involved with parkrun for around 16 years and brings his own lived experience of managing ulcerative colitis alongside his professional perspective on physical activity and healthcare. Mentioned in this episode parkwalk – An approach within parkrun designed to reinforce that walking at parkrun is welcomed and encouraged 5K Your Way – A community-based initiative supporting people affected by cancer to be active and connect with others at parkrun events Inflammatory Arthritis UK – The patient organisation Katy volunteers with, supporting and advocating for people living with inflammatory arthritis Active Together Physical Activity Clinical Champions – Training discussed by Andrew that aims to increase healthcare professionals' knowledge and confidence around physical activity Moving Medicine – A resource designed to support healthcare professionals to have conversations about physical activity within routine clinical care parkrun Health and Inclusion Strategy – Discussed in relation to widening participation and reaching people who are less likely to be physically active Research behind the podcast The parkrun Practice Podcast is based on research led by the University of Exeter exploring how the parkrun Practice Initiative is implemented within primary care. Through interviews with people working in GP practices, the research explored experiences of adopting and delivering the initiative, what helps or hinders implementation, and how parkrun Practice could be strengthened in the future. The research and podcast have been supported by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) Enablement Fund. Credits and acknowledgements Host: Jess Marshall, University of Exeter With thanks to our guests Katy and Andrew, and to the members of our stakeholder and patient advisory groups who helped us interpret the research findings and shape the conversations explored throughout the series. This podcast was developed as part of research undertaken at the University of Exeter, University of Keele, and the University of Dundee and supported by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) Enablement Fund.