15/04/2026
⚕️ Movement as Medicine & Why Clinicians Must Reclaim Physical Activity in Patient Care
On World Cancer Day 2026, Zoe Merchant, AHP Clinical Lead for the Prehab4Cancer Programme, and Jack Murphy, Programme Manager for GM Active, posed a question that feels deceptively simple. Why are health and care professionals not talking more about physical activity?
The evidence that movement improves outcomes is overwhelming. Yet in everyday clinical practice, it often remains an afterthought.
A Missed Preventative Opportunity
Physical inactivity is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for chronic disease. According to the World Health Organization, insufficient physical activity is responsible for an estimated 5 million deaths globally each year. In the UK, around 1 in 4 adults are classed as physically inactive, meaning they undertake less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week. The economic burden is significant as the inactivity is estimated to cost the NHS over £1 billion annually. And with wider societal costs exceeding £7 billion when lost productivity and social care are included.
In oncology alone, the implications are striking. Research consistently shows that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast and bowel cancer, by up to 20–30%. For those already diagnosed, maintaining activity levels has been associated with improved treatment tolerance, reduced surgical complications, faster recovery and improved quality of life. Some longitudinal studies suggest active cancer patients may experience up to a 40% reduction in cancer-specific mortality compared to inactive peers.
Despite this, conversations about exercise rarely feature in consultations.
Survey data indicates nearly three quarters of GPs do not routinely discuss physical activity with patients, and around 80% report being unfamiliar with national activity guidelines. In a system driven by time pressure and performance targets, medication discussions often take precedence. Physical activity, despite its evidence base, lacks contractual emphasis.
The Cancer Care Context
The case for movement is especially strong in cancer care pathways. Prehabilitation programmes such as Prehab4Cancer in Greater Manchester have demonstrated measurable impact. Patients who engaged in structured exercise and lifestyle support before surgery showed reductions in post-operative complications and shorter hospital stays. Early data from regional programmes suggests complication rates can fall by around 10–15% when prehabilitation is integrated effectively.
This matters not only for patient wellbeing but also for system sustainability. Shorter admissions and fewer complications ease pressure on acute services. In a system grappling with workforce strain and waiting list backlogs, prevention and optimisation are not luxuries, they are strategic necessities.
Moreover, as the UK population ages, with the number of people aged 65 and over projected to rise by nearly 40% by 2040, maintaining independence becomes central to public health policy. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of falls by up to 23%, lowers incidence of type 2 diabetes by around 30–40%, and significantly improves cardiovascular outcomes.
In short, movement functions as both treatment enhancer and long-term protective factor.
The Behavioural Power of a Clinician’s Voice
Perhaps the most compelling statistic is behavioural. Studies suggest that 1 in 4 people would increase their physical activity levels if directly advised to do so by a healthcare professional. In England alone, that translates to roughly 2.9 million adults potentially becoming more active simply through brief intervention.
This represents a low-cost, high-impact opportunity. A two-minute conversation can influence long-term health behaviour more effectively than many pharmacological adjustments.
And yet, clinicians often report low confidence in raising the topic. Concerns range from lack of time to fear that advice may be perceived as dismissive or insensitive, particularly among patients managing complex illness.
Bridging the Confidence Gap
To address this, national and regional initiatives are attempting to embed movement into routine care.
Digital tools such as Moving Medicine provide structured conversation prompts aligned to specific conditions, helping clinicians tailor advice safely. The Physical Activity Clinical Champions programme supports peer-led advocacy within the NHS. The Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme offers resources including Active Hospitals and e-learning modules focused on integrating activity into treatment pathways.
Professional bodies have also taken steps. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Active Practice Charter encourages surgeries to embed prevention and community signposting into their core model.
The direction aligns with broader NHS strategy. Care delivered closer to home, greater digital integration, and a shift toward prevention rather than reactive treatment.
Real-World Impact
Beyond statistics, frontline stories underline the human dimension. A trainee GP recalls suggesting five-minute walks to a patient experiencing low mood during lockdown. Months later, that patient had taken up cycling and reported meaningful improvement in mental wellbeing. A diabetes dietitian describes a patient who once needed five stops to walk up a hill and now reaches the top without pausing. A community nurse recounts how seated exercises helped rebuild confidence after a severe fall, leading to restored mobility.
These are modest interventions with disproportionate benefit.
Reframing Physical Activity as Core Care
The cultural challenge is to move physical activity from optional lifestyle advice to clinical priority. Exercise is not a competing intervention; it complements treatment, enhances recovery and extends healthspan.
In cancer pathways, cardiovascular disease management, diabetes care and mental health, the evidence is clear. Physical activity improves resilience. It reduces complications. It preserves independence. And it often costs nothing more than a conversation.
If nearly three quarters of clinicians are not routinely discussing it, the opportunity cost is immense.
The future of healthcare in an ageing society will not be built solely on new drugs or advanced procedures. It will depend equally on whether clinicians feel equipped, and empowered,to prescribe one of the most powerful interventions available.
Movement is not peripheral medicine. It is foundational.
https://diagnosticvision.com/fitness/movement-as-medicine-clinicians-physical-activity-care
