By Jade Cation, Director Insight Data Impact.
We often talk about physical activity as a matter of personal choice. But for many Londoners, the opportunity to be active is shaped by circumstances that are largely outside their control. The cost of living, housing pressures and the environment around us can all affect how easy it is to be active – and those pressures aren’t experienced equally across London. In fact, 38% of London homes are in areas with poor access to public spaces, one of many ways the environment we live in can affect how easy it is to be active.
If we want to reduce inequalities in physical activity, we need to look beyond individual behaviour and understand the conditions that shape people’s choices.
When the cost of living gets in the way
London is an expensive place to live. The latest figures show that 27% of Londoners are living in poverty after housing costs, the highest rate of any English region. Housing is a particularly significant factor: London’s poverty rate rises from 15% before housing costs to 27% after them.
For households already under financial pressure, housing and essential living costs can take up a significant proportion of income. That doesn’t just affect what people can afford; it can also leave less time, money and energy for activities that aren’t immediately essential. The result is that being active can become harder to prioritise, even for people who want to be more active.
The difference is particularly clear across levels of deprivation. Adults in London’s most deprived boroughs are twice as likely to be inactive as those in the least deprived. This doesn’t mean that deprivation automatically leads to inactivity, but it does highlight the wider conditions that can make being active more difficult.
The places we live matter too
Cost isn’t the only barrier. The environment around us can make a significant difference to whether activity is an easy part of everyday life or something that requires additional time, effort and planning.
Some London neighbourhoods have accessible green spaces, safer streets and a good range of local facilities. Others have fewer opportunities and more barriers. The disparity is clear, with all 10 of the local authorities in England with the least green space per resident being London boroughs.
These differences create very different pathways into physical activity. A person living close to a safe walking route, a park or an affordable local facility has more opportunities to build activity into their everyday routine than someone who doesn’t. This is why lower activity levels cannot be explained by individual choice alone, the environment in which people live can either support or restrict those choices.
From understanding need to taking action
The evidence points to a clear conclusion: if the barriers aren’t the same everywhere, our response shouldn’t be either. At an overall level London can appear to be wealthy. But the averaging hides extreme inequality among Londoners. We need to continue to invest in supporting high numbers of Londoners in significantly deprived places to be able to be active. That means using local data to understand where barriers are greatest, directing investment towards the communities facing the greatest need and giving local people a meaningful role in shaping solutions.
This is where London Sport’s place-based approach is important. By working with local organisations and leaders who understand the needs, opportunities and assets within their communities, we can support solutions that are more relevant to the people they are intended to reach.
We need to keep building this approach: using evidence to identify where inequalities are greatest, putting resources behind the places and communities facing the biggest barriers, and working with local partners to make being active an easier part of everyday life. Being active shouldn’t depend on your postcode. If we want a healthier, more active London, we need to make sure every community has a fair opportunity to move more.
