Only half of 7-year-olds are meeting recommended physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes per day, according to a landmark ukactive report on youth inactivity.

In direct response to its Generation Inactive report, the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector, is now calling for primary schools to test pupils’ fitness in the same way as subjects like Maths and English to stem the tide of physical inactivity threatening to overwhelm the NHS.

Professor Russell Viner, Officer for Health Promotion for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “At a time where children should be at their most active, it’s concerning that half of 7 year olds are not doing the recommended 1 hour of physical activity that’s advised each day – the Generation Inactive report is a welcome reminder that more must be done to improve the health of our nation’s children.”

Previous research by ukactive has shown that physical inactivity is responsible for more deaths than obesity or even smoking in England, and is estimated to cost public services and the wider economy around £20bn per year.

An inactive person spends 37 per cent more days in hospital and visits the doctor 5.5 per cent more often than an active individual. Inactive people are also significantly more likely to suffer from depression and dementia than physically active adults.

This shocking and worrying trend needs to be stopped in its tracks which is why ukactive has outlined a series of recommendations to help tackle the physical inactivity pandemic in schools.

These include extending the National Child measurement programme to measure fitness in addition to the current measurement of Body Mass Index based on height and weight.

Competency to deliver an effective physical education curriculum must be built in to teacher training alongside Maths, English and Science.

The forthcoming Childcare Bill, which guarantees 30 hours’ free childcare per week for children aged 3-4, should include a statutory allocation of time for play, physical activity and cultivating physical literacy skills.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, ukactive’s Chair and Britain’s most decorated Paralympian, said: “The current national ambition focused solely around PE lessons is simply not bold enough. We should aim higher and demand more.

“This does not mean we wish to see 60 minutes of timetabled PE per day. Instead, we are calling for a focus on a ‘whole school approach’. This means looking at how children travel to and from school, the manner in which they integrate activity as simple as standing in lessons, the development of more effective and structured use of play time opportunities and the provision of pre- and post school activities.”

If you are a parent or teacher looking for inspiration or advice on how to get your children active – talk to the team during your next visit to an Active Nation venue. With our pools, junior programmes, tracks, courts, pitches and activities we have got something for everyone.

The post Calls To Test Primary Pupils’ Fitness To Avert NHS ‘Time Bomb’ – ukactive appeared first on Active Nation.

With just a month to go until the prestigious British Cycling National Road Championships get underway, Paralympic hero Dame Sarah Storey set off from Active Nation’s Yarborough Leisure Centre to check out the route and challenges that await the country’s top cyclists.

Dame Sarah, Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian, having won 11 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals across six Paralympic Games, was joined by cyclists from the women’s national squad to do a recce of the course.

She said: “For a rider the national competitions are as big as it gets. It’s huge! It’s like the FA Cup Final or Premier League competition of the cycling world. It’s the biggest thing you can win on the road.”

Dame Sarah admits the road race circuit – which sets off from Yarborough Leisure Centre and includes the infamous Michaelgate hill climb – will be a challenge as she has never ridden uphill on cobbles before.

She added: “Everyone wants to win their National Championships.

“To be a road champion or time-trial champion and have the stripes to wear for the following year would be a dream come true for any rider. And I am sure the outgoing champions who are hoping to defend their titles would love to be able to wear the stripes for a second year.

“But anyone can win the race. If you are not on the start line you certainly can’t win it, but if you are on the start line, you just don’t know how racing is going to go.”

Cycling is very much at the heart of Active Nation and our mission to persuade the nation to be active – and we believe our support of this brilliant event will inspire many of our supporters to get back on their bikes. With amazing athletes like Dame Sarah visiting Yarborough Leisure Centre the potential to get more people pedalling is massive.

The British Cycling National Road Race Championships will take place from Thursday 25^th to Sunday 28^th June in Lincolnshire, beginning with the time trial at Cadwell Park Motor Racing Circuit.

Not only are Active Nation one of the championships’ main sponsors but the road race, which takes place on the Sunday, will officially start at Yarborough Leisure Centre and the venue will also serve as the race headquarters and team village.

Dame Sarah added: “I know the routes have been very well researched, set out and put together. Everything has been thought of. Having a HQ like this at Yarborough Leisure Centre is excellent. It’s great for the riders to have this as a base at the start and to roll out from.”

For more information about the championships and how you can get involved visit: www.nationalroadchamps.co.uk

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A call to action has been sent out to parents and schools after research shows two-thirds of primary school children are unfit. A new study of 10,000 five to 11-year-olds found that 67 per cent were unable to reach targets in running, jumping and throwing.

Fit For Sport, which runs brilliant Kids Activity Camps at some Active Nation venues, conducted the research. They say the results show that parents and schools must do more to increase children’s activity levels to ensure they stay healthy.

Children were assessed as they carried out a fun Activity Challenge – this involves a series of tests created to check various aspects of fitness, including stamina, agility, co-ordination and cardiovascular endurance.

The aim was to establish a good idea of the children’s fitness and physical literacy.

It found that just over a third (36 per cent) of five to seven-year-olds were at an adequate level of fitness.

That number fell to 32 per cent and 33 per cent for eight to nine and 10 to 11-year-olds respectively.

The guidelines set out by the chief medical officer recommend that children spend 60 minutes a day being physically active – yet only 21 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls achieve this.

The lowest results were recorded in running challenges that test cardiovascular endurance, indicating that not only are many children getting too little physical activity, they are also failing to spend enough time doing vigorous intensity activity where they are out of breath and their heart rate increases.

Fit For Sport founder Dean Horridge, said: “Parents know how well their children perform academically, but they often have no idea how fit their kids are.

“Two-thirds of the 10,000 children we tested were unable to meet achievable levels of fitness, like completing 60 star jumps in one minute.

“This is a clear call to action.

“Physical inactivity is a ticking time bomb for the UK’s health and both parents and schools must make sure children are spending enough time being active to improve their fitness and health levels now, and set them off on a journey to an active life.”

The research has been supported by ukactive who will be launching their own report into children’s physical activity later this year and will use it to lobby government to do more to tackle this shocking and worrying epidemic.

David Stalker from ukactive added: “I am delighted to support the launch of Fit For Sport’s Activity Challenge, which seeks to engage children in new and innovative means of physical activity, and brings a new sense of fun to the monitoring of children’s physical literacy, fitness and motor skills.

“The UK is currently facing an inactivity epidemic, with a staggering 29 per cent of people in England classed as physically inactive. This seems only set to rise as we see a continued growth of sedentary lifestyles, nowhere is this more apparent than in the case of children.”

For more information about Fit For Sport visit: http://www.fitforsport.co.uk/ and to read the full report click here: http://www.activitychallenge.co.uk/bundles/fitforsportchallenge/challenge/ChallengingInactivity_FitForSport_220415.pdf

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Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the entire Looney Tunes gang could help get kids active this Easter at the Fit For Sport camps at Yarborough Leisure Centre in Lincoln and All Seasons Leisure Centre in Chorley.

Active Nation have teamed up with specialist partner Fit For Sport to run Ofsted registered children’s activity camps – bringing Looney Tunes-themed sports, games and even the characters themselves to the venues during the school holidays.

From working up a healthy sweat like the Tasmanian Devil, to hopping through circuits like Bugs Bunny, Fit for Sport hopes to encourage more youngsters to get excited about fitness by incorporating the timeless characters into their activities at 80 camps across the country.

“The best way to get kids moving is to make it fun, and the Looney Tunes will help us to inspire even more children to enjoy physical activity,” said Fit for Sport founder and CEO Dean Horridge.

“We know kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day to be healthy, activity camps in the school holidays are a perfect way to get children engaged and active whilst having fun.”

The Looney Tunes Fit for Sport Activity Camps will launch next week, and continue during half terms and the summer holidays at leisure centres and schools throughout the country.

“Children the world over adore the Looney Tunes characters and stories, so this partnership is an obvious fit for us in the UK and we hope it encourages even more children to get excited about keeping active,” said Preston Kevin Lewis from Warner Brothers UK.

Booking for the Fit For Sport Kids’ Camps is essential – for more information please visit www.fitforsport.co.uk or call 0845 456 3233. Don’t forget to mention if you have previously used the Active Nation kids holiday activities to see if you are eligible for a brilliant discount.

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Britain has become one of the laziest nations in the world and it is killing us! The House of Commons Health Select Committee report on physical activity and diet says Britain’s sedentary lifestyles are far worse than those in the United States and the problem is escalating!

Almost two in three people in Britain do not manage 20 minutes vigorous activity three times a week – the recommended amounts in order to stay fit and healthy.

In the US this figure is just over 40 per cent, according to World Health Organisation figures, while in many European countries, such as France, Germany and Holland, less than one in three people are classed as sedentary.

MP Dr Sarah Wollaston, chairman of the committee, and a former GP, says far more needs to be done to promote the role of exercise in reducing the risk of a host of diseases.

She said: “The extraordinary benefits of exercise in improving physical and mental health should be made clear and accessible to everyone, whatever their current level of fitness.”

The committee said family doctors had a ‘crucial role’ in promoting the benefits of regular exercise, even if such advice was sometimes resisted. Experts quoted in the report said exercise was a ‘miracle cure’ which is too often overlooked by GPs, who had ‘forgotten what it takes to stay healthy’.

Dr Wollaston added: “The committee calls on the NHS, Local Authorities and the next government to work together to prioritise prevention and public health and we have set out achievable recommendations for action which could help to transform people’s lives and wellbeing.”

Experts have warned that a lack of exercise is as harmful as tobacco and contributes to up to one in six deaths in the UK – which is why more needs to be done to tackle this escalating problem!

As a leading Charity in the sport and exercise sector we acknowledge that we need to play a key role in this concerted effort. Our passion and enthusiasm is what drives our mission to persuade the nation to be active.

But we cannot do it alone – we need your support. We appreciate that at times maintaining regular physical activity can be tough, but when you face these challenges please talk to us, we will always be there for you to offer that helping hand and reignite the motivation that inspired you to set your goals in the first place.

We’d also ask that you pass on this infectious enthusiasm to inspiring others, you’ll be far more effective at persuading your friends and family to be active than we can be alone.your contribution won’t just be getting someone to join the gym or take a swim, the effects will be much deeper than that!

If you would like any help or advice about your activity levels please have a chat with the team during your next visit to an Active Nation venue.

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Promises to tackle a worrying fall nationally in the number of people swimming regularly have been welcomed by Active Nation.

Sport England’s annual Active People Survey measures how many people across England play sport for at least 30 minutes once a week. The latest results show that despite still being the nation’s most popular sport, 245,000 fewer people swam weekly between October 2013 and October 2014, than in the previous year.

The results show that 125,100 fewer people did some kind of sport or exercise once a week for 30 minutes during the same period – with the fall in swimming having a huge impact on these statistics.

ASA Chief Executive, Adam Paker, said: “We are surprised to see such a fall in the number of those swimming regularly. There is now the opportunity for us to work towards a significant improvement and we are determined to seize this.”

Jennie Price, Sport England’s Chief Executive, said: “I am disappointed with these figures, and I’m very concerned about the drop in swimming, which dominates the overall picture.

“If swimming’s figures had been flat, we’d be looking at an overall increase in participation. I am encouraged by the fact that the current leadership at the ASA, and the wider swimming industry, now recognise there’s an issue and want to work together to fix it.”

The results also confirmed what is already known about a gender gap between the number of men and women playing sport regularly. Overall, 1.75 million fewer women than men are active, despite over 70 per cent of 14-40 year-old women wanting to do more.

This is something Sport England hopes its This Girl Can campaign – aimed at giving women more confidence to exercise – can tackle. More than 12 million people have already watched the campaign advert online and hundreds of thousands of women have reacted positively on social media to it.

Reversing earlier trends, team sports saw an increase in numbers playing in the last 12 months – with football, cricket, netball and rugby union all recording growth. Athletics, canoeing, mountaineering, taekwondo and fencing also reported an increase in the number of people taking part.

The data also revealed that the number of young people playing sport regularly has increased.

Looking at the statistics swimming is understandably the main concern. Despite the fall in participation, swimming is still England’s most popular sport by a huge margin – with 2.6 million people taking part weekly. All of these people cannot be wrong!

No matter what your age, weight and physical ability, swimming and water-based activities can provide you with a great workout. In fact, many hail it as the best form of exercise as it’s great for getting fit, shaping up and is low impact.

The key to swimming is the same as any other activity – you need to make it a habit and enjoyable. It’s like riding a bike – you never forget! So pop down to your nearest Active Nation pool and give it a go, we’ll be happy have a chat with you about ideas for adding variety to your pool sessions and tips to keep you motivated.

Visit our website: www.activenation.org.uk/participate and pick up a 3 day guest pass that will entitle you to enjoy 3 FREE days of sport and exercise – including free time in our pools! For more details on the latest Active People Survey results visit: www.sportengland.org

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Many of us eat too much, drink too much and don’t get enough exercise – if you think that doesn’t apply to you, statistics show you’re probably wrong. All of this excess and lack of activity raises the risk of ill health and disease – but reassuringly there are many factors that we can control and even reverse.

We are a nation pushing our luck when it comes to unhealthy habits. One in 5 adults smoke; a third of adults drink more than the recommended levels of alcohol and a third of men and a half of women do not get enough exercise.

Nearly two-thirds of adults and 28% of under-15s are overweight or obese; only a quarter of adults eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day and nearly a third of people have high blood pressure.

Children consume 3 times the level of sugar they should, adults more than twice and the average person consumes 7.2g of salt – the recommended level is 6g.

BBC Health Correspondent Nick Triggle has looked at lots of different research to highlight the impact all of these unhealthy lifestyles can have on the nation’s health.

There are 7 established factors that raise the risk of ill health. They cover everything from smoking to low fruit and vegetable consumption. An incredible 93% have at least one risk factor, according to the Health Survey for England and over a third have 3 or more.

Nick points to some encouraging signs. Smoking rates are falling and there is evidence to suggest obesity and problem drinking rates are stabilising. But, nonetheless, the scale of unhealthiness is still proving to be serious burden.

Research also suggests that nearly half of all cancers are caused by avoidable life choices. Smoking, of course, is a major culprit, but so is diet and weight. Similar findings have been reached for other big killers from heart disease to diabetes.

The burden of dealing with obesity is massive. Public Health England has put the costs at over £4bn.

Prof John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said: “Lifestyle-related illnesses cost the taxpayer millions of pounds we can ill afford. Unless we tackle these issues effectively, the NHS will not be able to survive the increasing pressures.”

So how is that to be done? Experts talk about a partnership between the national, local and individual spheres of society. We all need to play our part.

Health is truly everybody’s business. It’s in all our interest to get healthy and be active! Have a chat with our team the next time you visit an Active Nation venue. We’re on a mission to persuade the nation to be active – but we cannot do it without your help!

If you would like to read Nick’s article in full click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30934590?dm_i=1IYM,3508Z,8904M8,B96KY,1

The post The True Cost Of An Unhealthy Lifestlyle appeared first on Active Nation.

People are better at taking up healthy lifestyle habits if their partners turn over a new leaf too, new research shows.

Whether you want to start exercising, get fitter, lose weight or quit smoking, you have a better chance of success if your partner shares your goal, research suggests.

The British study looked at data from more than 3,700 married or cohabiting couples aged 50 and older.

Men and women were 3 times or more likely to achieve their resolution when their partner joined in the challenge.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Jackson said: “It shows that if you can target couples or encourage people to involve their partners they may be more likely to succeed. Having the support of someone close seems to help.”

The University College London team selected men and women who were in a cohabiting relationship and who had unhealthy behaviours – either being a smoker, being overweight or doing too little exercise – at the start of the study.

They tracked the behaviours of these individuals and their partners over 4 years, noting if any of them quit smoking, lost weight or became more active.

They found that when one half of the couple changed to a healthier lifestyle, the other person was more likely to make a similar lifestyle change.

Seeing an unhealthy partner make a change provided the biggest impetus for an individual to do the same, but living with someone already healthier than themselves also appeared to act as an encouragement.

For example, a smoker was twice as likely to quit if their partner was a non-smoker but 10 times more likely to quit if their partner smoked but decided to quit too.

Similarly, living with a sporty partner prompted individuals to get active, but not as much as seeing a loved one change from a couch potato to an active lifestyle.

Dr Mike Knapton, from the British Heart Foundation which part-funded Dr Jackson’s work, said: “This is an interesting study and reinforces the notion that your relationships play a key role in your health.”

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s head of health information, said getting support could help people take up good habits.

“For example, if you want to lose weight and have a friend or colleague who’s trying to do the same thing, you could encourage each other by joining up for a run or a swim at lunchtime or after work.”

Feeling inspired to move a bit more? Find an Active Buddy and you’ll be more likely to achieve your goals. Start exercising with your friends, partner or work colleagues, and you’ll be motivated to achieve more and stick at it for longer. Bring someone with your for a workout next time!

The post If You Want To Get Fit… Do It Together! appeared first on Active Nation.

Have you seen the This Girl Can video that is empowering thousands of women across the country to take part in regular sport and exercise and tackle their fears of being judged?

Using real women as inspiration it is hoped the campaign will address the shocking findings by Sport England that 2million fewer women than men take part in sport and regularly exercise across the UK.

Concerns over appearance, ability and whether they will, as mothers, be judged for putting themselves first, are the main reasons that deter women from living healthier lifestyles.

Last year, Sport England found that of the 9.4 million women aged 14 to 40 in the UK, 75 per cent (7.1 million) would like to be more active.

The study has prompted the This Girl Can campaign to celebrate and empower women.

Sport England hopes this will inspire a ‘moment of realisation’ in women when ‘they recognise that they are not alone’ and encourage them to get active, either by joining local clubs, gyms, exercising in their own homes or just by moving more.

The This Girl Can campaign focuses on real women, after researchers found that elite sportswomen and celebrities were seen as off-putting and unattainable.

It aims to create a sense of solidarity, encouraging women to face their fears about sport by talking to female friends and relatives.

The TV advert features 40 real women taking part in sport in a way that fits around their lives. The activities shown include Zumba, netball, tennis, swimming, jogging and exercising at home – with one mum doing sit-ups alongside her young children.

Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said: “Women do less sport and exercise than men, but most say they would like to do more.

“So we had to get to the bottom of what’s holding them back.

“We found out by talking to women of all ages up and down the country that what’s stopping them is fear, fear of judgement: whether that’s about how they look, whether they’re any good at it, or feeling guilty about spending time on themselves.

“Whichever way you slice it, women’s fear of judgement is sapping their confidence.

“This Girl Can is a celebration of all the women who are finding the confidence to exercise: it’s an attitude, and a call to action for all women to do the same.”

Feeling Inspired? Why not sign up to receive a FREE 3 day guest pass for your nearest Active Nation venue and prove that you can too? Feel free to share this with all of your friends and family: www.activenation.org.uk/just-try-it 

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Right now, 29% of people in England are classed as inactive! This is a shocking statistic, but more worrying is the fact that this inactivity is already linked to one in six deaths across the country and the associated health problems are costing the economy up to £10bn per year. Globally inactivity is now the fourth leading risk factor to mortality.

Yesterday, Active Nation attended a national summit hosted by UKActive, a not-for-profit body comprised of members and partners from across the lifestyle sector. It was an opportunity for us, and other sport and exercise industry leaders to address this national issue, and align ourselves to the outcomes and policies that must reverse this epidemic.

Together with UKActive, we pledged our commitment to leading the fight against this major public health issue after the findings of a new report, “Steps To Solving Inactivity” were presented. The findings were part of the largest review of physical activity programmes to date and has attracted the attention of local authorities, sports stars, national news organisations and the Prime Minister.

The report found that in response to a rise of inactivity levels, councils are responding positively to the challenge already by allocating 4% of their public health grant to tackling inactivity in 2014/15 compared to just 2% in 2013/14. New data also reveals that more than 70% of councils have raised their allocated budget on physical activity.

Whilst UKActive welcomed this news, it was warned that still more needs to be done, including a more robust evaluation of physical activity programmes – so the most effective can be rolled out nationally in a bid to encourage more participation.

Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham commented: “For a country that loves sport as much as we do, it is appalling that we lag so far behind other developed countries when it comes to levels of physical activity. To turn the tide of inactivity, we need concerted action from Government, local authorities, business and the voluntary sector – all working together to play their part.”

As a leading Charity in the sport and exercise sector we acknowledge that we need to play a key role in this concerted effort, so that this report contributes to a legacy rather than just today’s news. With this report we recognise that simply having an overwhelming passion and enthusiasm for persuading the nation to be active isn’t enough alone, so beyond this we’ve taken a number of commitment’s that we pledge to you:

• We will continue to design and implement programmes with a focus on engaging inactive people and providing inclusive services aimed at reducing health inequalities.
• We will more actively implement routine data collection at base line, exit and follow up for programmes to demonstrate impact in the short and long term.
• We’ll use this data to shape and refine physical activity programmes, interventions and services.

In achieving this commitment, we’ll need your support to overturn this tide of inactivity. We appreciate that at times maintaining regular physical activity can be tough, but when you face these challenges please talk to us, we will always be there for you to offer that helping hand and reignite the motivation that inspired you to set your goals in the first place. We’d also ask that you pass on this infectious enthusiasm on to inspiring others, you’ll be far more effective at persuading your friends and family to be active than we can be alone…your contribution won’t just be getting someone to join the gym, the effects will be much deeper than that!

To understand more about this report, download a copy at http://www.ukactive.com/policy-insight/steps-to-solving-inactivity-report

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