2010 has so far lived up to being a fantastic year for Sport! We have seen the outstanding spectacle of the Winter Olympics, some great footballing action in the FA cup and UEFA Champions League, the tension of the Six Nations, plus the biggest event in the US sporting calendar, the NFL Super Bowl, which achieved an incredible global audience of in excess of 160 million people.

As a nation it’s evident that we love sport, but worryingly it seems we’re more often watching it than playing it! Research shows that we spend approximately 28 hours per week sat in front of the TV, but only around 75 minutes per week actually playing sport.

Given these statistics it’s no wonder that in the UK a quarter of adults are now considered to be overweight or obese. Worryingly it’s not a problem we can ignore since moderate to severe obesity can reduce your life expectancy by up to 10 years.

It’s statistics like these that add more weight (pardon the pun!) to our charity’s message of persuading the nation to be active. This year we have worked harder than ever to offer more innovative sport and exercise programmes.

Our work with key partners such as Change4Life and the British Heart Foundation have undoubtedly helped to get many more new people active.

As one of the 12% of the population who are actively engaged in sport and exercise, your help is crucial. Firstly continue to do what you enjoy doing and set a great example, and secondly, please do everything you can to spread the message amongst your friends and family so that they too can enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle. Together we can reduce the effects of our nations growing waist line!

POSTED IN GETTING ACTIVE on 29 July 2010