People with cystic fibrosis ‘should get exercise plans’

On 24 February 2017 the University will host a meeting of scientists and health care professionals to discuss how this might be achieved.

The benefits of exercise for people with cystic fibrosis are widely accepted, but a formal system for promoting it has not yet been established.

Some doubts remain over issues such as who should be responsible for promoting exercise, and how intense the exercise should be.

Professor Craig Williams, of the University of Exeter, said: “Our research has shown clinicians and their multi-disciplinary teams value the role of exercise testing and physical promotion in the management of cystic fibrosis.

“But there is a lack of information and skills for how best to implement this strategy.

“This workshop being held at Exeter is the first of several initiatives to help fill this gap.”

Professor Williams has been researching physiological responses to exercise during childhood and adolescence for over 25 years, and has studied the effects on people with cystic fibrosis for over a decade.

The schedule for the one-day Exeter event is a mix of seminars, interactive lab sessions and round table group discussions.

In March 2016, the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre at the University of Exeter was awarded £750,000 by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to lead an international research group to examine the role of physical activity and exercise in managing the condition in children and adolescents.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition affecting more than 10,800 people in the UK.

People with cystic fibrosis experience a build-up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs, causing a wide range of symptoms affecting the entire body.

For more information about the workshop, please contact Owen Tomlinson on O.W.Tomlinson@Exeter.ac.uk

To find out more about the research, visit the Youth Activity Unlimited website.