Sport England's Active Lives Survey measures the sport and physical activity levels of adults (aged 16+) across England. The most recent survey looked at the period November 2021-November 2022 and was the first survey undertaken without any restrictions since the start of the pandemic. Activity levels have increased by 1.7% since the previous survey and have returned to where they were pre-Covid 19.
The Active Lives Survey allows us to gain a picture of what's happening in England, as well as enabling us to see how we measure up in Berkshire. The survey shows us how active people are in different areas and how these levels have changed, who within our county is not managing to be as active as we would like and how many adults are giving back to their communities by volunteering. Throughout England, less women are active than men, being inactive is more likely if you have a disability and people become less active with age.
In England, 63.1% of adults are achieving the recommended minimum 150 minutes of physical activity each week, meaning 29.1 million people are now gaining all the amazing health benefits from being active. However there are still 11.9 million inactive adults meaning a quarter of the population is doing less than an average of 30 minutes per week.
The results for Berkshire are slightly better with 64.3% of people being reportedly active and 23.6% inactive which is an improvement on last year. Although this is positive there is still a long way to go with getting all of Berkshire active which is why the work we are doing is so vital to give everyone the opportunity to be physically active.
Windsor and Maidenhead tops the county as the most active area in Berkshire at 73.9% followed by Wokingham at 67.1%.
As most of us know, physical activity is so important to individuals in terms of their physical and mental health; it can decrease the risk of many chronic conditions such as cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes and can make a positive impact upon reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as enhancing self-esteem and well-being. There are also many benefits of sport and physical activity both socially and culturally, bringing people together and creating social groups. Participation has shown to improve numeracy in children, reduce crime and strengthen community identity.
To look at the latest report and understand about the demographic differences, visit the Sport England website. Or use the query builder to explore the results in greater detail.
