The NESI Podcast

Shifting the system: different approaches to tackling physical inactivity


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In this episode, Stephen speaks with Dr Ben Rigby from Newcastle University (United Kingdom) about his commentary, Reflections on inaction: how might we reverse continuing trends in physical inactivity, which asks why decades of physical activity promotion have failed to move the needle — and what bold ideas might finally shift the dial.

Ben shares his reflections on the limitations of current policy approaches, and the tendency to treat inactivity as a simple behaviour problem rather than a complex, systemic issue.

You’ll hear about:
• Why global physical activity targets are likely to be missed — and what that tells us
• The need to think beyond individual behaviour change to structural levers like time, equity, and resource distribution
• How we might re-imagine physical activity promotion to create more meaningful movement experiences

Whether you work in research, policy, or practice, this conversation will challenge you to step back, rethink assumptions, and imagine a more radical future for physical activity promotion.

🔗 Read Reflections on Inaction: https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2025.2473331

🔗 Learn more about Dr Rigby’s work: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/people/profile/benjaminrigby.html

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The NESI PodcastBy NESI Podcast Team