Our research

Our research is not just about academic excellence. It has wide ranging societal impact in areas as diverse as sports performance, cardiac health and childhood wellbeing.

• How we started the green exercise revolution - Our research on Green Exercise has led to a successful Big Lottery funding bid by the charity Mind, which supported 130 environmental projects that have improved the mental wellbeing of participants.
• Ticking timebomb of children's fitness - Our research has shown that children's fitness is falling, and that our obsession with Body Mass Index may be hiding a far larger issue.

Our research projects focus on more than just athletes. It can have an impact on staff wellbeing for businesses, improve sports participation for children, and challenge the accepted views on areas such as children's fitness.

• Dr Valerie Gladwell has carried out multiple projects on wellbeing in the workplace. Her research showed that reduced working hours helps with staff stress, and that an adrenaline boost (from something as simple as going on a slide) can improve productivity.
• Research carried out at the University of Essex by Dr Gavin Sandercock showed a worrying trend of declining child fitness levels.
• Research by Dr Mike Rogerson shows that teenagers, who are increasingly suffering from poor mental health, are the age group most disconnected from nature.
• A collaborative project between Dr Ben Jones and Dr Gavin Sandercock led to the Rugby Football Union changing regulations for junior rugby, which aim to improve participation rates and enjoyment for young players.
• Academics in our School are carrying out research in to Green Exercise, and the impact that nature has on both our mental and physical health.

Our researchers publish in some of the top journals in their fields of expertise, including:

• Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
• Journal of Sports Sciences
• Journal of Biomechanics
• British Journal of Sports Medicine
• Journal of Biomedical Optics
• Sports Medicine