Physical Activity and Rehabilitation

We aim to generate evidence to support people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities to be physically active and to participate in activities they enjoy and that bring meaning and connection to their lives. We also strive to generate evidence to understand what types of rehabilitation can enable the highest level of functioning for health and wellbeing.

This research programme area is led by Dr Ailish Malone

We have:

• Evaluated the effects of exercise interventions for people with cerebral palsy including the effect of strengthening exercises and Pilates on function and participation
• Examined how much people with cerebral palsy participate in physical activity and how this affects their health
• Contributed to the development of the UK physical activity guidelines for disabled adults
• Evaluated implementation of a behaviour change intervention to support adults with multiple sclerosis to increase their physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behaviour
• Explored mechanisms underlying unsteadiness with balance during walking in children with cerebral palsy
• Measured the activation of muscles during commonly prescribed strengthening exercises to determine which exercises might work best for gaining strength

Ongoing projects include:

• Youth Experience Matters: a national study of participation in physical activity by teenagers with physical disability, aiming to identify their priorities for participation

See examples of our ongoing and completed projects on our projects page

See our publications in this area on our journal articles page