Design for active living

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of research interest under the heading of: Design for active living: Investigating and applying motivational strategies to encourage consistent and meaningful exercise habits in under-represented or excluded groups 

We welcome all research degree applications aligned with and in response to this brief.

The benefits of regular outdoor exercise - from both a physiological and psychological perspective - are well reported in the literature. Exercise is a key strategy to support recovery after injury or illness (Rooney et al. 2023). In the context of healthy ageing, exercise to improve balance and mobility is the most effective way of preventing falls in people aged 70 and over (Bruce et al. 2021). In conditions such as osteoporosis, both weight bearing exercises with impact (such as walking or star jumps) and muscle strengthening exercises are recommended to help keep bones strong and healthy (Royal Osteoporosis Society 2024).  

Despite the benefits, barriers to exercise are well known, e.g. weather/season, health problems, lack of time, work-related factors, and lack of interest (Korkiakangas et al. 2011). This practice-based design research project will explore motivational factors to encourage more consistent and meaningful exercise habits for a specific user group. The project will engage under-represented groups (e.g. women, older people, those with health conditions, people with lower socioeconomic status and people from ethnic minority backgrounds) who are less likely to access the natural environment through exercise (Natural England 2017, 2020). Through co-design methods, experimental practice, and prototyping, the research will examine how technologies can be harnessed to support behavioural change for exercise and active living. 

Projects deriving from this brief are expected to sit within the Research & Knowledge Exchange strategy and the following department.

All successful research degree project proposals must emphasise a clear alignment between the project idea and our Research & Knowledge Exchange strategy.