Professor Nanette Mutrie MBE
Professor Emerita

- Moray House School of Education and Sport, ISPEHS research cluster
- University of Edinburgh
- Physical Activity for Health Research Centre [PAHRC]
Contact details
- Tel: +44 (0)131 651 6532
- Email: nanette.mutrie@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Moray House School of Education and Sport, SL 2.27
- City
- University of Edinburgh (Holyrood Campus)
- Post code
- EH8 8AQ
Background
Nanette Mutrie retired as Chair of Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh in January 2022. Nanette has been directing the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC) since 2012. She will continue to be associated with PAHRC. Her research relates to helping people ‘move more’. She has over 300 peer reviewed publications and the 4th edition of the text book she co-authors ‘The Psychology of Physical Activity for Health” was published by Routledge in 2021. A particular interest for Nanette is how to communicate about physical activity to the public and she is chair of the Active Scotland Development Group. Recently Nanette has joined the board of Paths for All and strongly believes that ‘walking is the best buy’. Nanette received an MBE from the Queen in 2015 for services in Physical Activity for Health in Scotland. Her own activity involves dog walking, walking the golf course, playing pickleball and commuting by bike whenever possible.
Nanette is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. She has extensive experience of conducting interventions aimed at increasing physical activity. With her students and colleagues she has more than 200 peer reviewed publications in this area. The third edition of a text book, first co-authored with Stuart Biddle in 1991, was published by Routledge in Janaury 2015 (Biddle, Mutrie, Gorely ‘Psychology of physical activity: determinants, well-being, and interventions’).
Her inaugural lecture entitled, ‘Encouraging people to sit less and walk more’, was given at the University in December 2013 and can be viewed below. A Beltane Fellowship during 2013 allowed her to work in the Scottish Parliament Building encouraging people there to ‘sit less and walk more’. The final seminar from that Fellowship, held in the parliament building, can be viewed below.
She has also contributed to policy, for example, ‘let’s make Scotland more active’ and the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) programmes on physical activity and the environment and the promotion of walking and cycling. She is currently a member of the National Strategic Oversight Group for Physical Activity in Scotland.
National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence website
Current collaborative projects include ‘EuroFIT’, ‘RuFIT’,‘Secure FIT, FFIT follow-up (all delivering a successful lifestyle and weight management programme to sports fans in different locations) ‘walkwell’ (walking programmes for people with learning disabilities), ‘actwell’ (lifestyle counselling for women attending breast cancer screening), ‘USP’ (examining sedentary behaviour patterns in older adults), M74 (an investigation of the impact of a new motorway on travel patterns) and eCoacher (web enhanced delivery of exercise referral schemes). She gets her own exercise by commuter cycling, dog walking and playing golf (badly so a lot more walking involved!).
Undergraduate teaching
Pscyhology of Physical Activity Psychology
Exercise for Rehabilitation
Postgraduate teaching
M.Sc Physical Activity for Health
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
topics related to physical activity for health
Current PhD students supervised
- Andrew Murray - Golf for Health
- Chloe Williamson - PA messaging
Research summary
Nanette is leading the development of the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. Please click on PAHRC website below to see our current projects
Physical Activity for Health Research Centre [PAHRC]
If you are interested in physical activity for health please drop me an email - our colllaborations are developing and we would love to hear from you!
Current research interests
physical activity for health; encouraging people to sit less and move more; prevention and treatment of diseases through increasing physical activityProject activity
Projects are best viewed on PAHRC website
Current project grants
Grants are best viewed on PAHRC website
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COVID‑19: Physical activity, government restrictions, and mental health in the UK and Italy
(18 pages)
In:
Trends in Psychology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00262-2
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The rise of the electrically assisted bicycle and the individual, social and environmental impacts of use
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.atpp.2022.04.003
Research output: › Chapter (peer-reviewed) (E-pub ahead of print) -
The Physical Activity Messaging Framework (PAMF) and Checklist (PAMC): International consensus statement and user guide
(12 pages)
In:
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01230-8
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Snacktivity™ to promote physical activity: A qualitative study
(12 pages)
In:
International journal of behavioral medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-021-10040-y
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Sitting as a moral practice: Older adults’ accounts from qualitative interviews on sedentary behaviours
(19 pages)
In:
Sociology of Health & Illness, vol. 43, pp. 2102-2120
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13383
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A modified Delphi study to enhance and gain international consensus on the Physical Activity Messaging Framework (PAMF) and Checklist (PAMC)
In:
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01182-z
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Planning and optimising a digital intervention to protect older adults’ cognitive health
(16 pages)
In:
Pilot and Feasibility Studies, vol. 7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-021-00884-2
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A qualitative exploration of perceptions of a digital intervention to promote physical activity in older adults
(13 pages)
In:
Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, vol. 29, pp. 442-454
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/JAPA.2019-0484
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Psychology of Physical Activity: Determinants, Well-being and Interventions
(502 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003127420
Research output: › Book (Published) -
Psychology of Physical Activity: Determinants, Well-Being and Interventions
(502 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003127420
Research output: › Book (Published)