A milestone for parkrun practices

"Regular physical exercise greatly reduces the risk of patients developing serious health conditions. Parkruns are a great and fun way for patients to get more active – and for GP teams, recommending it to patients is a simple and effective way of supporting their holistic health and taking a preventive approach to their care."

This is according to Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, one of the RCGP’s lifestyle and physical activity leads and parkrun UK’s health partnership lead.

“Not only will those who are regularly active have a reduced chance of developing serious conditions including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, they'll most likely find their mental wellbeing improves, and their levels of stress reduce,” says Hussain.

This is the driving principle behind parkrun practices: a social prescribing initiative from the College and parkrun UK. It’s designed to promote the health and wellbeing of both staff and patients by encouraging them to participate in regular, communal exercise. It is not about GPs making formal referrals but increasing awareness of community assets for the patient to consider.

The scheme was launched in 2018 and supports participating GP teams to develop close links with local parkrun events and encourage both staff and patients to participate where appropriate.

The initiative just passed a significant milestone with Wellspring Medical Practice in Killingworth, North Tyneside, becoming the 2000th registered practice in the UK.

"It's really excellent that we've reached such a significant milestone in the number of practices registered. To do this in just seven years is remarkable and shows the willingness of GP teams to promote a healthier lifestyle to their patients,” Hussain says.

Parkrun events take place every Saturday morning and are organised by local volunteers. The free 5km runs are inclusive of all ability levels, and are family-friendly, with attendees having the option to run, jog or walk.

The weekly meet-ups are also a chance for people to form connections with others in their local area. “Parkruns are designed to be social, and they can be particularly beneficial for isolated patients, helping to address the negative health effects of loneliness,” Hussain explains.

For practices, enrolling in the scheme is simple – and as well as linking them to their local parkrun team, comes with a range of benefits.

Hussain explains: "once registered, practices can access physical and digital promotional material, including a certificate, posters, social media assets, and flyers to display in their waiting room, demonstrating to their patients that this is an available option.

"Practice teams can also gain access to learning resources and toolkits offering guidance on how to initiate conversations with patients about the health benefits of regular physical activity, where they can get involved and where it is safe for them to do so.”

Any member of the practice team can then register to become a parkrun practice and, act as the main contact for their surgery.