Engaging people with lived experience to co-design a community-led physical activity and diabetes prevention intervention for people experiencing homelessness

People with lived experience of homelessness (PWLEH) experience disproportionate challenges to preventing diabetes, including access to opportunities for physical activity. In partnership with the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy Committee (CDAC), we co-designed and piloted a low-barrier, community-led Physical Activity Day to promote movement, wellness, and connection among PWLEH. The event featured five stations, stretching and yoga, cardio and steps, strength, balance, and diabetes and nutrition education. The activities incorporated simple equipment, modifiable exercises, and peer-informed staff. Thirteen participants completed all stations and provided pre-event surveys, and eleven participants provided post-event survey data, reporting high satisfaction, feelings of safety and inclusion, and increased motivation to be more active than baseline. Qualitative feedback emphasized enjoyment, social connection, and supportive staff. Limited pedometer data confirmed engagement in the movement-based intervention. Findings demonstrate that a co-designed physical activity event may be feasible, acceptable, and capable of fostering physical and mental health benefits for PWLEH, supporting potential for future scalable community-based interventions.