Published today by Sport England, Active Lives Adult Survey May 17/18 report shows positive steps towards reducing inactivity across the nation.
London Sport is encouraged by the growth in participation demonstrated in this latest data, which suggests that efforts to combat inactivity in London and beyond are paying dividends.
Almost 300,000 more adults (aged 16 or above) are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s Guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week.
As well as this, 116,000 fewer people are inactive, those who are doing 30 minutes or less of activity a week.
Particular changes have been seen in activity levels of older adults aged 55 to 75, a key target group outlined in Sport England’s Towards an Active Nation strategy.
Certain activities have seen a noticeable increase; walking for leisure and travel, adventure sports, combat sports and martial arts, gym sessions and fitness classes and roller and skating sports all showing positive trends.
Positive increase in adults activity levels across London
The survey shows that there are 4,457,800 adults in London (63.6%) who are meeting the recommended levels of physical activity to benefit their health and wellbeing.
Although not significant, London has seen an encouraging 0.3% increase in adult participation overall relative to the previous 12 months.
Kingston-upon-Thames, Islington, Westminster and Richmond-upon-Thames all showing positive increases, with 7.2%, 6.2%, 4.5% and 4.1% increases respectively.
Responding to these latest findings, Tim Copley, Director of Insight and Performance said:
“We welcome the positive increase in activity levels and reduction in inactivity across England.
“Whilst not statistically significant, we’ve seen some small, yet positive increases in adult participation in London.
“More work needs to be done to reduce inequalities across a number of population groups and in areas with the highest levels of inactivity.
“We will continue to work hard with our partners in these areas of greatest need.”
Earlier this year, we released Good Investments: Physical Activity, Sport and Social Value, to articulate the investment in physical activity and sport in London pays dividends beyond just activity levels, with every £1 invested in London creating £1.48 of social value.
In providing clear evidence of the benefits of physical activity and sport, our intention is to strengthen the case for future commitments to increasing participation across the capital.
