Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
The impact of stroke can be devastating, often with diverse, long-term consequences. Common experiences are hemi-paresis, communication impairments, cardiovascular deconditioning and cognitive decline. Each of these poses a significant challenge to people resuming meaningful activities in recovery. Aerobic exercise is well documented to improve health and functional outcomes across the rehabilitation pathway. Yet, in supporting stroke survivors with severe movement impairments, practitioners often lack the confidence to prescribe and support exercise. Typically, these practitioners have access to inadequate guidelines and inaccessible modes of exercise testing
The EXERCISES study was a randomised feasibility study aiming to explore the acceptability of exercise testing and training for people with severe movement impairments post-stroke. This seminar will present an overview of the project, including findings and possible solutions to providing inclusive post-stroke exercise.
Allie Welsh is joining Leeds Beckett University from the University of East Anglia (UEA) as a Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health Sciences. She gained a BSc(hons) in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Central Lancashire and a Master’s by Research (Exercise Physiology) at Edge Hill University. Allie then completed her PhD at the UEA, before undertaking a post-doc with Health Education England to design an educational framework for Advanced Clinical Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation. She was then appointed Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health and course director for the Physical Education, Sport and Health cluster of degrees.
Allie's research interests primarily involve promoting physical activity and overcoming health inequalities for people living with disability, in particular neuro-disability such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and more recently, chronic pain. Much of her work to date has been within the world of Clinical Trials, whereby her PhD aimed to design feasible exercise testing protocols and exercise interventions for people with severe movement impairments post-stroke, given the importance of maintaining good cardiovascular function for cognitive health. However, she is becoming increasingly interested in community-based assets and how these can be utilised to promote healthy behaviours among clinical populations.
A professor of Physical Activity and Health, Jim studies behaviour change at a range of levels; individual, social and whole community. He is Director of the Active Lifestyles research centre in the School of Sport.
Jim's current work involves evaluation of some substantial physical activity interventions. These include projects in Calderdale (centred on Halifax), Leeds and Doncaster. Each of these projects has a distinctive 'style'; his work aims to complement the preferred style, using principles drawn from behaviour change science, implementation science, whole systems approaches and human-centred design.
Jim has been heavily involved in the development and refinement of the massively successful BattleBack Centre, delivered through Carnegie Great Outdoors, at Lilleshall national sports centre. This work in united by the idea that better programmes, delivered by better prepared staff will secure more active involvement of community groups.
Much of Jim's work on behaviour change is deeply relevant to curriculum areas, including physical activity and health and to coaching, sport development, physical education and overall school improvement. It has a strong resonance with today's peri-COVID context in Public Health. Recent work in Doncaster assessing how major sporting events can be 'used' to secure community benefits, have shown how this work aligns well with major concerns in Events, Tourism and Hospitality.
Jim also applies behaviour change concepts to teaching and learning, so is often involved in staff development activities.
