The co-location of health care and leisure as part of a whole-system approach to physical activity promotion

ABSTRACT Individual-level interventions are insufficient to create the enabling conditions for population-level shifts in physical activity. This is evidenced by a lack of progress tackling physical inactivity across the globe. A more integrative and holistic approach is needed that recognizes the different contexts within which physical activity takes place. The interactions that occur between individuals and wider policy, environmental, and structural factors are also worthy of attention. This article explores an attempt to apply systems thinking and co-design to a health care context. We argue that co-locating health care clinics within leisure facilities can make it easier for people, particularly those with a health condition, to engage in physical activity.