Levels of physical activity in England have reached a new record, with more than 30 million adults now meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, according to the latest Active Lives survey. The 10th edition of the report highlights a striking rise in activity among older people, with an 11% increase among those aged 75 and over in the past decade. Improvements have also been consistent among individuals with disabilities.
Persistent Inequalities
Despite the overall progress, the report reveals that certain inequalities remain stubborn. Activity levels among black and Asian communities have not changed in a decade, while the least affluent have seen a decline over the same period. Simon Hayes, chief executive of Sport England, said: "It's great to see continued growth in the number of people taking part in physical activity... But today's report also shows this progress is still not being felt equally."
Regional and Demographic Disparities
The data shows that disparities between ethnic groups, levels of affluence, and geographic regions have widened over the past decade. While activity levels for white British people rose 3% to 66%, levels among black adults and Asian adults (excluding Chinese) remained at 57% and 56% respectively. Only 53.8% of the poorest adults meet the activity target, compared to 54.8% a decade ago. The West Midlands remains the least active region, with just 1.7% growth in activity over ten years, versus 3.5% in the south-west, the most active region.
Overall Growth and Changing Habits
Overall, there are now 3.3 million more regularly active people in England than when the survey began. In the past 12 months, an additional 859,000 adults have become active, the largest increase since 2021-22. This rise has been driven by older adults, with a 7% increase among 55- to 74-year-olds and a 10.9% rise among those aged 75 or above. Changing habits have also contributed: while pandemic-era walking for leisure has declined, there are still 1.3 million more people walking than before 2020. Participation in fitness activities like gym attendance and exercise classes has grown sharply each year since the pandemic, reaching a ten-year high of 15.3 million.
Nick Pontefract, Sport England's chief strategy officer, noted that this reflects "a nation that is increasingly aware of the huge benefits that being active brings across physical health, mental wellbeing and both individual and social development, and that people are finding new and different ways to incorporate activity into their daily lives."
