Physical Activity and Improved Lifestyles (PAIL)

Overview

The PAIL project was designed to improve access to and support sustained engagement in exercise and physical activity across inpatient and community services for individuals living with mental health issues.

And to develop and trial healthy lifestyle education sessions alongside service users.

Why was it developed?

Adults who experience severe and enduring mental illness (SMI) have less opportunity to engage in exercise than the rest of the Portsmouth community. This is despite provision of several excellent services (such as BHLive and Portsmouth Interaction) and clear evidence that this population group are most likely to benefit from this intervention. A gap between services which provide exercise and staff in the NHS who engage this population at their most vulnerable has been identified. A solution has been trialled in two pilot projects demonstrating early success and with clear recommendations.

Locally, the Health and Care Portsmouth Joint Forward Plan highlights that the life expectancy for adults living in Portsmouth is lower than the national average, particularly in the most deprived areas of the city. Similarly, to evidence for individuals with SMI, cardiovascular disease is identified as one of the main causes for premature mortality locally.

Physical activity is proven to help prevent and treat illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity as well as prevent and or improve multiple mental health disorders. With the increase in supporting scientific evidence, exercise is now listed as a treatment for all stages of depression.

An attendee of the gym group said:

“These sessions have really encouraged me to continue exercise and given me a bit more confidence to attend things on my own without support from my family.”

This project aims to deliver proof of concept. It not only aims to ensure the continued provision and development of successful collaborative projects delivered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and BHLive Active, it has the ambition to work in partnership with other services throughout Portsmouth to improve the physical health and lifestyle of residents with mental illness. This is through three main objectives:

1. Increase exercise on the acute wards, providing a 6 day service and throughput into community exercise options.
   • Employment of exercise professionals not only to deliver exercise intervention but to act as a “bridge” between clinical and partnership services; clinical expertise to engage patients.
   • Continue to deliver the established successful model of BHLive fitness instructors working onto the wards.
   • Support service users to access community services.
2. Expand the community based supported gym groups
   • Increase the number of groups offered.
   • Include 1-1 transition sessions between supported and independent gym use.
   • Regular celebration events: attend to celebrate successes, receive support and network with community physical activity and healthy lifestyle providers.

3. Co-produce the lifestyle intervention sessions with service users and partner organisations.

This 18 month PAIL project aims to identify the most effective model to support individuals living with mental health issues to access and sustain engagement in physical activity and exercise for improved physical health and wellbeing. Through sustained partnership working it is envisaged that BH Live staff will gain greater mental health awareness and further improve upon their reputation as an inclusive provider for the Portsmouth community.

An inpatient accessing the service said to us: “The exercise has massively helped to reduce pain levels in lower back, reporting ‘exercise has fixed it’. He expressed it feels like it has opened up the area and allowed muscles to do more and he is very much enjoying the ability he has now and constantly thanks the sessions for helping to reduce his pain, he states ‘ feels like I’m floating now’ and wishes to continue exercise when discharged.”

Further information

Anyone under the care of the adult mental health services can access these activities. Please speak to a professional involved in your care for a referral.

Celebration events – all service users who have attended the gym groups or ward based activities are invited to attend to celebrate successes, receive support and network with community physical activity and healthy lifestyle providers.

We want to co-produce the lifestyle intervention sessions with service users and partner organisations, and expand the offer to enable 1-1 support to access community services to build confidence.

Get in touch if you’d like any more information.

Partners involved in this project include BHLive Active, Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.