New national health data released by the Government shows that levels of physical activity have remained unchanged in the last four years.
The figures, published as part of the annual Health Survey for England, also reveal that those in higher income brackets are far more likely to be physically active than those with lower incomes.
The Chief Medical Officers’ current guidelines state that adults should spend at least 150 minutes per week in moderately intensive activity, or 75 minutes at vigorous intensity, while children should be moderately active for at least an hour every day.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre found that only two thirds of men and just over half of women meet these recommendations, and concluded there was “no Olympic legacy yet apparent”.
The Survey also reveals that only 21% of boys and 16% of girls meet the guidelines – a worryingly low figure which echoes other studies which have assessed the health of children in England.
Previous research by the National Child Measurement Programme has found that more than one in five children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, rising to a third of children entering secondary school.
These figures will be taken into account by a cross-party commission of MPs seeking to reverse the trends towards physical inactivity.
Find out how to submit your views and recommendations for meeting the challenge.
Find out more about the Sport and Recreation Alliance's public health work.
As we mark National Inclusion Week, we spotlight our member Women in Sport, a charity that for over 40 years has been dedicated to understanding and breaking down the barriers that hold girls and women back from the opportunities and lifelong benefits of sport and activity.
Read more
Nominations for the Alliance’s annual Spirit of Sport and Recreation Award are open ahead of the organisation’s 90th anniversary celebration event, which has been confirmed for St James’s Palace in November.
Read more
Sport and activity should be for everyone, everywhere. This National Inclusion Week, we celebrate progress while calling for change to break down the barriers disabled people continue to face.
Read more
Joining the Sport and Recreation Alliance is pretty simple, but worthwhile!
Register now
