Informed

Improving physical activity in the community

Promoting active lifestyles should be at the core of health professional practice according to Health Secretary Andy Burnham, who spoke during the build up to the 2012 Olympic Games. Not only is physical inactivity a major contributor to chronic diseases, including bowel and breast cancer, but it also costs us billions each year. According to the Department of Health, the NHS spends £3,000 every minute on fighting illness that could be prevented by physical activity [1].

Only 40 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women in the UK achieve the recommended 30 minutes of activity on five or more days a week [2]. When levels of physical activity are compared in Europe, the UK is in 21st place [1].

Update on Change4life campaigns

Here we summarise the progress of Change4Life, of which WCRF UK is now an official partner.

Swim4Life [3]. Around 250 councils, comprising more than a thousand local authority pools, have signed up to the free swimming programme for people aged under 16 and over 60. Over 4.4 million free swims have been made since April. To encourage new swimmers to join in, Sport England is offering 100,000 free swimming lessons to non-swimmers.

Bike4Life [4]. British Cycling has teamed up with Sky, the entertainment and communications company, to offer local and national led bike rides with the aim of inspiring a million more people to bike in the next five years.

Walking for Health [5] (part of the Walk4Life brand) is a successful campaign from Natural England, which encourages people who take little exercise to take regular short walks in their communities. The programme is already helping 30,000 people every week to walk more. A new Natural England initiative, Blue Gym, will also provide guided walks along English coastline, rivers, streams and canals.

Practical ways to help patients get fit

Health professionals have been encouraged by the Department of Health to be proactive in helping people get fitter. Here are a few suggestions:

• Walking is free and accessible to young and old people throughout the country. Have a map of the area at hand to suggest safe green spaces accessible to patients and check the Walking for Health website [5] for local walks.
• Swimming is a safe and fun sport for all the family. Check the list of swimming pools subscribed to the free swimming programme in your area [6].
• Refer patients to easy online information on cycling routes such as www.dft.gov.uk/cyclingengland and www.bikeforall.net.
  

To read about more government physical activity initiatives, visit our programmes and policies section.

References

1.DoH 2009 [online]. Available from: www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_104254
2. Office for National Statistics. Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, 2009
3. Swim4life[online]. Available from:www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/swim4life.aspx
4. Bike4life[online]. Available from:www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/Bike.aspx
5. www.whi.org.uk
6. DCMS 2009 [online]. Available from: www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/sport/5810.aspx