Online Qi Gong for Social Prescribing: A UK-Wide Option for Housebound and Rural Patients
Social prescribing works best when it can reach everyone – not just those who can easily get to a community hall.
But many of the people who need gentle movement and nervous-system support the most are the ones who find it hardest to leave home: housebound patients, rural residents without transport, carers on tight schedules, people shielding or living with high anxiety.
This is where online Qi Gong becomes a powerful part of your social prescribing toolkit – a way to offer calm, evidence-informed movement and community anywhere in the UK, through a simple Zoom link.
This article shows you how online Qi Gong works at Bright Beings Academy, who it suits, how to refer safely, and how to fit it into your existing pathways. For the wider cluster, you can also explore:
Qi Gong and Social Prescribing in the UK: A Complete Guide for Link Workers
Social Prescribing Explained: How Gentle Movement and Qi Gong Support NHS Personalised Care
What online Qi Gong is (and isn’t)
In Bright Beings Academy’s live online Qi Gong sessions, people join via Zoom from their living room, bedroom or kitchen. They see the instructor, hear clear guidance, and follow along at their own pace.
A typical class includes:
Gentle joint-tapping and loosening to wake the body up
Slow, repetitive Qi Gong movements done standing or seated
Breath-led exercises to settle the nervous system
A short relaxation or meditation to close
It is not:
High-intensity exercise
Chair yoga with complex poses
A performance or test – people are encouraged to move within their own limits
You can share the main information and booking page directly with patients and clients:
For a full overview of the wider offer, you can also use:
Why online Qi Gong fits social prescribing so well
1. Reaches housebound and shielding patients
Many people referred into social prescribing:
Are post-surgery, post-viral or clinically vulnerable
Live with conditions that make travel exhausting or risky
Are carers who cannot easily leave the person they support
Online Qi Gong lets them:
Join from home, even on lower-energy days
Take part sitting down if needed
Leave the session early if symptoms flare
You can frame it as:
“You don’t have to travel or keep up with anyone else. You just click a Zoom link, follow along gently, and see how your body responds.”
2. Opens doors for rural and transport-poor communities
In rural areas or transport “cold spots”, even the best community offer can be out of reach. Online Qi Gong:
Removes the travel barrier
Provides consistent access whether or not buses are running
Allows small PCNs and practices to share a single, high-quality resource
This makes it a strong option for ICBs and PCNs looking to reduce inequalities between urban and rural populations.
3. Supports people with anxiety, agoraphobia or low confidence
For some, the thought of entering a new group is overwhelming. Online Qi Gong offers a gentle bridge:
They can attend with camera off at first
There is no pressure to speak in front of others
They can pause or rest without feeling seen
Over time, people often gain enough confidence to:
Keep their camera on
Try local in-person classes such as
New Malden Qi Gong Mondays
or
Qi Gong Live Classes at the Hook Centre, Chessington
For the nervous-system and mental health angle, you can explore:
4. Builds real community, even through a screen
Online classes are not just a video to follow. At Bright Beings Academy they are live, relational sessions. People:
See familiar faces each week
Share a quick hello in the chat or at the end
Feel part of a group, even if they never speak
For many lonely, housebound or rural patients, this gentle sense of belonging is as important as the physical practice itself.
You can explore this social dimension in:
How Bright Beings Academy’s online classes work
Format and pacing
Delivered on Zoom by an experienced Qi Gong instructor
Suitable for complete beginners
Clear demonstrations, repeated movements, and regular reminders to rest
Options to practise standing or seated throughout
People only need:
A chair without wheels (if possible)
A small clear space around them
An internet connection and device with sound
You can safely refer people who can sit and stand with or without support and whose conditions are medically stable. For a step-by-step safety guide, use:
Who tends to benefit most from online Qi Gong?
Common referral groups include:
Housebound adults with arthritis, chronic pain or fatigue
Long COVID and post-viral patients needing gentle pacing
People with COPD or breathlessness, who may benefit from breath-led movement
Carers who can’t leave the home for long
People with social anxiety, agoraphobia or trauma histories who find in-person groups difficult
The underlying research on pain, breath and mood is summarised in:
Evidence snapshot: why online is worth backing
Most Qi Gong research has been done in person, but the mechanisms – gentle movement, breath regulation, nervous-system calming – still apply online.
The Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report focuses on in-person Ki Gong and armchair yoga in New Malden, Chessington and Kingston. It found that older adults:
Reported better overall quality of life after regular sessions
44% noticed improved flexibility and ease of movement
Often described feeling happier, more relaxed and less alone
You can read the full report here:
Bright Beings Academy’s live online Qi Gong is designed to deliver the same core ingredients – gentle movement, breath, rhythm and connection – to people who cannot reach a hall.
You can pair the local report with the national evidence hub for bids and business cases:
How to refer someone into online Qi Gong (step-by-step)
You can follow a simple 4-step process alongside your usual social prescribing pathway.
Step 1 – Quick suitability check
Online Qi Gong is usually appropriate if the person:
Can sit safely in a chair and stand (with or without support)
Has stable long-term conditions (blood pressure, heart issues monitored)
Is not in acute medical or mental health crisis
For detailed triage, use:
Step 2 – Explain what to expect
A simple script you can adapt:
“There’s a live, online gentle movement and breathing class called Qi Gong. You join on Zoom from home and follow along at your own pace. You can sit down whenever you like, and there’s no pressure to keep up or be seen on camera.
People often find it helps with stiffness, sleep and stress when they come regularly. It won’t replace your usual care, but it can give your body and nervous system some extra support.”
Then give them the link:
For people who want more background, you can also share:
Step 3 – Suggest a time-limited experiment
Rather than “try it once”, invite them into a short trial:
“Let’s treat this as an experiment: one online class a week for 6–8 weeks. After that we’ll check in and see what’s changed in your pain, sleep, mood and confidence.”
This aligns with how benefits tend to build over time and mirrors many trial durations.
Step 4 – Review with light-touch questions
At review, keep monitoring simple:
“How are your pain and stiffness compared with before you started?”
“Has your sleep shifted at all?”
“Do you feel more confident moving around the house or outside?”
“How are your stress and mood these days?”
“Do you feel any more connected to other people, even through the screen?”
If you’re running a funded project, you can copy the questionnaire style from:
How online Qi Gong links with local classes
Online Qi Gong does not compete with local provision – it complements and feeds into it. Over time, some online participants may feel ready to:
Move into New Malden Qi Gong Mondays if they’re local and need a chair-friendly daytime class:
Social Prescribing in New Malden: Qi Gong for Over-50s and Gentle Chair-Based ExerciseTry the Hook Centre class in Chessington if they want more standing practice and in-person community:
Social Prescribing in Chessington and Hook: Community Qi Gong for Healthy Ageing
In this way, online Qi Gong becomes:
A starting point for those who are most isolated
A long-term option for those who will always need home-based support
A bridge into wider community connection and group activity
For the connection journey, you can also explore:
FAQs: Online Qi Gong and social prescribing
1. What if someone has poor internet or limited tech skills?
If internet is unreliable, you can:
Encourage using a wired connection or sitting close to the router if possible
Suggest using a tablet or smartphone if they don’t have a computer
Support them or their carer to do a quick test call before the first class
If tech barriers are insurmountable, consider starting with in-person options if feasible.
2. Do people have to be on camera?
No. People can:
Join with camera off initially
Turn it on later if they feel more comfortable
Keep it on but step out of view for rest breaks
It can help to say:
“You’re always in control of your camera. You’ll see the instructor clearly, but you don’t have to be seen if you’d rather not.”
3. Is it safe for people with high blood pressure or heart conditions?
Often yes – if their condition is stable and monitored. Movements are low-impact and people are reminded not to push into pain or breathlessness. Those with unstable blood pressure, recent cardiac events or major surgery should seek clinical clearance first.
For more detail you can use:
4. Does online Qi Gong really help with loneliness?
It is not a complete solution, but it can make a big difference. People:
See familiar faces each week
Have a shared experience to look forward to
Feel less like they’re struggling alone
You can position it as a stepping stone – a gentle way to reconnect with others from the safety of home, with the option to move into local groups later.
For the deeper dive, see:
5. Where can I find all the key guidance and evidence in one place?
Keep these two pages handy as your main reference points:
FAQ: Social Prescribing and Qi Gong with Bright Beings Academy
Qi Gong and Social Prescribing in the UK: A Complete Guide for Link Workers
And for local, story-backed evidence, always include:
Next steps
If you’re ready to make gentle, nervous-system-friendly movement available to housebound, shielding and rural patients across the UK, you can:
Start referring directly into
Live Online Qi Gong ClassesUse in-person classes as complementary options for those who can travel:
New Malden Qi Gong Mondays
and
Qi Gong Live Classes at the Hook Centre, ChessingtonBuild pilots and bids using the evidence base in:
The Science Behind Qi Gong for Social Prescribing: Pain, Breath and Mood
and the
Brighter Living Qi Gong Impact Report 2019–2020 (PDF)
Used thoughtfully, online Qi Gong can turn a Zoom link into a lifeline – a weekly moment of movement, breath and belonging for people who might otherwise feel left out of community care.
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
