Department of Health

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Physical activity

Female cycling in park

Regular physical activity of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, can bring about major health benefits as well as significant cost savings for the NHS

Increasing levels of physical activity helps to reduce coronary heart disease and obesity, hypertension, depression and anxiety. Even relatively small increases in physical activity can protect against chronic disease and improve quality of life.

At every life stage it is important that we build physical activity into our daily routines – the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) recommends that adults should aim to achieve at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on five or more days of the week. Children and young people should aim for 60 minutes every day.

Physical activity can help all of us to lead healthier and even happier lives, irrespective of age.

CMO Report: At least five a week

Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health

This report sets out the available evidence from around the world for the impact that physical activity has on public health.

The evidence demonstrates that an inactive lifestyle has a substantial, negative impact on both individual and public health and is a primary contributor to a broad range of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.

The high level of individual suffering caused by these diseases, together with the substantial associated financial costs, make this a major public health issue.

Be active, be healthy: a plan for getting the nation moving

Be active, be healthy (published 11 February 2009) establishes a new framework for the delivery of physical activity alongside sport for the period leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and beyond.

Be active, be healthy also sets out new ideas for Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts to help determine and respond to the needs of their local populations, providing and encouraging more physical activity, which will benefit individuals and communities, as well as delivering overall cost savings.

The Let's Get Moving - physical activity care pathway

The new Let's Get Moving (LGM) physical activity care pathway is based on the principles of the NICE public health guidance 2006: Four Commonly Used Methods to Promote Physical Activity which endorses the delivery of brief interventions for physial activity in primary care as both clinically and cost effective in the long term.

The launch of LGM provides a unique opportunity to embed the promotion of physical activity at the very core of the NHS, offering a major opportunity for health professionals to make a significant difference to the health of our nation.

The Secretary of State for Health would like PCT's to consider the benefits of including physical activity in their 2010/11 commissioning proposals.

The General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ)

LGM provides a physical activity care pathway which can be used by service providers systematically to recruit patients and screen for inactivity using a validated questionnaire (GPPAQ).  Patients identified as not meeting the CMO’s recommendations for physical activity will be offered a brief intervention, drawing upon motivational interviewing techniques, which:

  • Takes a patient centred approach to highlighting the health benefits of physical activity;
  • works through key behaviour change stages; and
  • concludes with a clear physical activity goal set by the patient, identifying local opportunities to be active, including exercise on referral schemes where appropriate.

Participating patients are then followed up over 3, 6 and 12 months after the brief intervention to check progress, encourage and re-set goals.

Change4Life

Change4Life logo

Change4Life is a society-wide movement launched by the Government to encourage the population to 'eat well, move more and live longer.'

The Change4Life website provides help, advice and support, a database of local activities and marketing toolkits for local communities.

Free swimming

parents and child holding hands in a circle in a swimming pool

Almost 300 local councils are providing swimming free of charge for people aged 60 and over, as part of the Government’s free swimming programme. More than 200 of those also offer free swimming to 16s and under.

Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP)

Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAPs) were locally run pilot programmes to test and evaluate new ways of encouraging people to take up more physical activity.

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