Findings from the report led by Dr Jane Williams, Lecturer in Psychology, concluded that physical activity has the potential to provide positive experiences following a parental bereavement. It also found that physical activity can provide a sense of freedom and help to alleviate grief outcomes.

The study’s participants experienced the death of a parent while they were aged between 10 and 24 years old. They were recruited in a variety of ways, including through call-outs on social media and via word of mouth as participants referred other suitable people that they knew.

After speaking with the individuals about their personal journeys with using physical activity as a way to cope with their grief, the team of researchers from the University’s Institute for Sport & Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) identified a number of reoccurring themes, including that exercise was seen as ‘therapeutic’ and provided an ‘emotional outlet’ for grief.

Speaking about the research, Dr Williams said: “This research is dedicated to everyone who has experienced the death of a parent and to all those who participated and shared their experiences to enhance the research within this area. I believe this research topic can help individuals who have experienced a bereavement who need support without wanting to seek professional or medical support.”

Semi-structured interviews for this research were carried out from March 2018. During the sessions, participants reported using a variety of physical activities to help them cope with their grief including dancing, mixed martial arts and outdoor activities such as hiking. A long-term, in-depth analysis was conducted on the findings before the concluding results were published in a paper by BMC Public Health earlier this year.

The research team hope that the findings of this project will help the future development of bereavement support services for young people who have experienced the death of a parent and will encourage the incorporation of physical exercise alongside, or as an alternative to, traditional therapies.

This study is just another example of the ground-breaking research carried out by the University of Bedfordshire. Just last year, 60% of the University’s research and 50% of its impact was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Professor Andrew Church, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our research output here at the University of Bedfordshire and projects such as this – examining the vital and important impact of exercise and other physical activity on grief outcomes – is yet another remarkable project led by our excellent academic researchers who are committed to finding ways of changing people’s lives for the better.”