New study shows Good Boost digital exercise programmes can save the NHS money
A study of more than 4,400 people has found that a digital exercise programme from WSA member Good Boost is helping adults with joint and muscle problems to move better, feel happier, and reduce anxiety – and at a fraction of the cost of traditional face-to-face physiotherapy.
Good Boost is a social enterprise which operates across the UK. It created and led the MSK Physical Activity Hubs across England from 2022 to 2024 and works in collaboration with We Are Undefeatable.
Good Boost also makes personalised, therapeutic exercise available via a phone or tablet either at home or in community setting such as leisure centres, swimming pools and retirement villages. The aim is to support people living with long-term health conditions. The programme is already being expanded nationally through leisure operators, local authorities and direct partnerships with Public Health teams, the NHS and Integrated Care Boards.
Good Boost accreditations explained:
Studying more than 40,000 of these exercise sessions, Good Boost found that:
- after six weeks, people showed small but significant improvements in how well they could move, how happy they felt, and how anxious they were.
- at 12-week and 26-week follow-ups, more than a third of people were experiencing less pain while around 47% achieved clinically meaningful improvement in physical function
- more than 65% reported a positive improvement in their condition
- the results were comparable to traditional physiotherapy but much more affordable – a typical leisure-centre session costs just £4–£5 per session. If someone takes part in Good Boost sessions twice a week for three months, it will cost around £100 to £120 – which adds up to a typical cost saving of £168 per person, compared to NHS physiotherapy.
Ben Wilkins, CEO of Good Boost, said:
“The study demonstrated that improvements that individuals are making through our digital exercise programmes are very similar to the outcomes from face-to-face physiotherapy.
“The evidence shows us that our programmes, are not only safe, accessible and a valuable tool in managing long-term joint and muscle conditions but also scalable with the very real potential to achieve a significant cost saving to the NHS.”
More than 20 million people in the UK live with musculoskeletal disorders and patients must often wait longer than 14 weeks for NHS physiotherapy appointments.
“This isn’t a one-size-fits-all app. It personalises movement and responds to real-time feedback. We currently operate in 300+ community venues across the UK such as swimming pools and leisure centres and we have the potential to scale even further. We can demonstrate the real potential for a new model of healthcare, one that brings effective preventative care and treatment into local community spaces, expands access and helps to ease the growing pressure on the NHS. This could be genuinely transformative for the future of musculoskeletal care in the UK and we need to start reimagining community spaces as hubs for preventative healthcare,” Wilkins added.
Good Boost has also revealed that its programme delivers more than £2,000 in social value per participant. The average cost for every person taking part is £129 and for every £1 of cost, Good Boost delivers £16.50 in social value. That’s approximately more than 11 times more cost-effective than the expected cost of delivering similar NHS programmes*.
Charlotte Murray underwent two spinal surgeries in 2020 at the age of 41, leaving her in a cycle of pain and physical weakness and lacking confidence in her fitness ability. She started Good Boost sessions in her local leisure centre in Tadcaster in 2023. She said:
“Joining the sessions has not just helped with my pain management and mobility, but also my mental health and wellbeing. Good Boost has been life-changing for me. It has enabled me to move forward. The swimming pool is now my happy place.”
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi – Royal College of General Practitioners lifestyle and physical activity lead – says that the findings are significant:
“These findings highlight the huge potential of digitally-enabled, personalised physical activity to support people living with long-term musculoskeletal conditions. By combining evidence-based movement with community delivery, programmes like Good Boost can improve outcomes, widen access, and reduce pressure on NHS services. This is exactly the kind of prevention-focused, neighbourhood health approach the NHS urgently needs.”
The work of Good Boost has also been endorsed by UK Active. Chair David Stalker says:
“For decades, we have championed the importance of movement to leading a healthier, longer life. With more of us living with health conditions, and as the NHS is facing unprecedented challenges, Good Boost is paving the way, creating tailored fitness advice that is reducing pain, improving social connections and, ultimately, changing lives for the better. Furthermore, the Good Boost research is further evidence that the leisure industry – our local leisure centres, gyms and pools – can play a key role in reducing the burden on the NHS by creating more cost-effective solutions.”
Good Boost started as a community health research project in public swimming pools in Oxford. It pioneered the co-design and development of technology for personalised therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation, on land and in water. It launched as a social enterprise in 2018 with the ambition to create more accessible and affordable options for people living with joint conditions and wider long-term health conditions.
English