The Movement Prescription

In this episode of The Movement Prescription Podcast, Callum speaks with Dr Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein, a GP in the Royal Air Force, about physical activity, lifestyle medicine, and behaviour change in military and primary care settings. Jodie discusses her systematic review of nudges in primary care, noting how administrative prompts, like reworded letters and text messages, empower staff to encourage healthier patient choices.

She also reflects on a recent summit in Finland focused on warfighter performance, population health, and national preparedness. The conversation explores how this contingency mindset might translate to the UK without relying on fear-based messaging. Finally, Jodie shares her thoughts on military exercise culture, highlighting the value of making small, practical lifestyle changes tailored to a person’s unique motivations and past experiences with fitness.

Key Takeaways:

• How administrative nudges, such as appointment letters and text messages, can be used by practice staff to drive positive behaviour change.
• Why viewing physical fitness through the lens of national resilience and preparedness offers a new perspective on population health.
• The importance of understanding a patient’s past experiences with exercise to help them build lasting, foundational habits around sleep, nutrition, and movement.

Resources Mentioned:

• RCGP Veteran Friendly Practice network
• Churchill Fellowship
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine: bslm.org.uk

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

We all know that getting outside feels good, but the actual science behind what happens to our biology when we connect with nature is extraordinary. In this episode, Dr. Suzy Scarlett speaks with two guests on a mission to make time outdoors a fundamental part of our healthcare.

Writer and photographer Anna Deacon discusses her new book, The Wild Fix. She shares how recovering from burnout taught her the value of seeking out natural "glimmers." These small, everyday moments of beauty actively calm the nervous system, proving you don't need a wilderness adventure to feel better. Simply admiring a houseplant or watching rain in an urban puddle can be enough to start.

Professor William Bird, a GP and pioneer of green prescribing, then unpacks the hard data. He explains how spending time in green spaces physically shrinks the stress centers of the brain while reducing negative rumination. Crucially, he also addresses the very real barriers to getting outside, such as safety concerns in deprived urban areas, and explains how community-led projects are helping people reclaim their local parks.

Key Takeaways:

• How spending just 60 minutes in nature physically alters the brain, shrinking the amygdala and drastically reducing negative rumination.
• Why actively hunting for "glimmers" triggers a parasympathetic nervous system response that instantly calms stress.
• How the formula of "people, purpose, and place" helps communities, especially in deprived urban areas, overcome safety concerns, reclaim their local green spaces, and start moving.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Wild Fix by Anna Deacon
• Wellbeing Walks (Ramblers) & Beat the Street
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine: bslm.org.uk

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

In this special episode of The Movement Prescription Podcast, co-host and GP Callum shares the key lessons from his recent Churchill Fellowship, a global journey across New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, and Finland to explore how different healthcare systems and governments promote physical activity.

Moving beyond the standard 10-minute GP consultation, Callum speaks with frontline clinicians and health leaders; Andrew Boyd (New Zealand), Tracy Johnson (Australia), Dr. Jason Tujo (Aotearoa New Zealand), and Eero Kentä (Finland); to uncover what actually gets nations moving. We discuss what these countries are doing differently to tackle health inequalities, the power of indigenous and community-led movement traditions, innovative workforce models like Clinical Exercise Physiologists, and why cross-governmental political leadership is essential for creating active societies.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, policymaker, or simply passionate about lifestyle medicine, join us as we share global observations and practical ideas that could help shape the future of physical activity policy and practice back home.

A huge thank you to the Churchill Fellowship for funding and supporting these travels. To find out more about their work funding UK citizens to find global solutions for local problems, visit churchillfellowship.org.

Supported by the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine: bslm.org.uk

What if we stopped viewing surgery as something that passively happens to patients, and instead treated it as an event they can actively train for? In this episode, Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi sits down with Professor Scarlett McNally, an orthopedic surgeon and national clinical leader, to explore the profound power of movement in the perioperative period. Scarlett breaks down the compelling data behind "fitter in, faster out," explaining how prehabilitation can slash surgical complications by up to 50% and turn lengthy hospital stays into day-case recoveries.

Scarlett also opens up about her extraordinary personal health battle with myeloma and heart failure, sharing how she used an electric bike to build the physical resilience needed to survive a life-saving stem cell transplant. From navigating "teachable moments" on the waiting list to the necessity of human-driven "surgery schools," this conversation is a masterclass in why movement must become standard surgical care rather than the exception.

Key Takeaways:

• Why moving a patient from zero activity to just 30 minutes a week triggers the steepest drop in surgical risk.
• How building strength beforehand provides a vital protein and antibody store for post-op wound healing.
• Why every member of the healthcare team needs to give patients "permission to move."

Resources Mentioned:

• Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC): cpoc.org.uk
• Moving Medicine (Consultation Guides): movingmedicine.ac.uk
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine: bslm.org.uk

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

What’s the absolute minimum amount of exercise you need to protect your heart and metabolism? In this episode of The Movement Prescription, host Suzy sits down with the delightfully no-nonsense Professor Jason Gill from the University of Glasgow to throw out the "heroic" 100-day fitness trends and focus on what actually works for the next 1,000 days.

Whether you are a frontline healthcare worker looking for practical patient strategies or simply trying to navigate your own health journey, Jason delivers a refreshing, evidence-based reminder that "good enough is good enough" when it comes to diet and movement.

• The Two-Stage Weight Strategy: Why intensive dietary changes (or tools like GLP-1s) excel at initial weight loss, while physical activity acts as the ultimate anchor for long-term weight maintenance.
• Frequency Over Intensity: Why moving at least every other day matters more for blood sugar and metabolic health than a single grueling weekend workout.
• The 15-Minute Strength Secret: How doing just one or two brief resistance sessions a week—focusing on large muscle groups and pushing close to failure—unlocks up to 80% of the total health benefits.
• Stop Shielding Older Adults: Why lifting light soup tins doesn't cut it for seniors, and why progressive, safe heavy lifting is required to protect independent living.
• "Beautiful or Useful" Habits: How to make exercise stick for decades by ensuring it is either socially rewarding (beautiful) or seamlessly built into your daily routine (useful).

In this episode, we sit down with GP Dr James Carvell to explore what it really means to live and move with multiple sclerosis. Drawing on both clinical insight and personal experience, James shares how physical activity can support not just physical function, but also mental resilience in the face of a fluctuating condition.

• Monkey Sox at https://monkeysox.org/
• Charities: James recommends the MS Society, MS Trust, and MS UK as fantastic starting points for reliable information and support for newly diagnosed patients.
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM): bslm.org.uk

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

In this inspiring episode of The Movement Prescription, join Callum as he explores the power of movement in cancer with guests Cat Fraser-Harris and Lucy Gossage. Cat shares her personal journey with sarcoma and how documenting her physical activity has become part of her journey. Lucy, an oncologist and former professional triathlete, shares insights on the impact of exercise for those living with and beyond cancer. Together, they explore the challenges, motivators, and the benefits of staying active. Tune in to learn how movement can be a powerful ally in the cancer journey.

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

Join Suzy as she chats with the incredible co-founders of the Active Pregnancy Foundation, Marlize de Vivo and Sally Kettle. Frustrated by the lack of support and advice for women on physical activity during pregnancy and the postnatal period, Marlize and Sally launched their foundation in 2020. They're dedicated to breaking down barriers and empowering women to stay active through preconception, pregnancy, and beyond.

Marlize brings a deep research background to the table, including a PhD focused on predicting physical activity behaviours in pregnant women. Her expertise has directly shaped the guidance and policies that support and empower women on their pregnancy journeys.

Sally, a prolific adventurer who has rowed the Atlantic multiple times and is a renowned public speaker, shares her personal journey of navigating activity during her own pregnancy. She's driven by a powerful passion to ensure future generations of women don't face the same lack of clear, supportive guidance.

This episode is packed with evidence-informed insights and practical advice for both women and healthcare professionals. You'll hear them tackle common fears, discuss the nuances of activity levels, and advocate for a holistic, individualized approach to movement in the perinatal period. Discover how the Active Pregnancy Foundation is working to ensure every woman feels confident and supported in embracing physical activity.

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

Get ready to rethink your chair time! In this episode of Movement Prescription, Dr. Richard Mayne dives into the hidden dangers of prolonged sitting—and why your body is crying out for motion. From the science linking sedentary behavior to heart disease, diabetes, and even early mortality, to Dr. Mayne’s top tips for breaking up long stretches of inactivity, you’ll learn simple strategies to stand up for your health. Tune in and discover how a few small shifts in your daily routine can add years—and vitality—to your life.

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!

Join us as we sit down with Lee Vaughan, a movement coach with lived experience of chronic pain, and Professor Blair Smith, a leading expert in pain medicine—and someone who understands firsthand the challenges of living with persistent pain. Together, they explore what it really means to stay active when your body says otherwise. From battling daily discomfort to finding ways to move that feel safe and empowering, Lee and Blair share candid reflections on their own journeys. They discuss the science of chronic pain, the emotional toll it can take, and—most importantly—the hope and benefits that movement can offer.

Produced with support from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Find us at https://themovementprescription.co.uk/ and join the conversation!