Let’s warm-up with some statistics

• Inactivity affects 60–70% of the adult population - more people than obesity, alcohol misuse and smoking combined
• Just 40% of men meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations for physical activity (30 minutes of at least moderate intensity activity on five or more days of the week).
• Over a quarter of boys do not meet the recommended physical activity level (at least one
• hour of moderate or more intense activity a day).
•  Activity levels fall sharply with age. The decline starts quite sharply at 35 for men. Only 21% of men aged 65-74 and 9% of men aged 75 or over meet the recommendations.
• Sport England research shows that 20% of men participate in sport (defined as at least 30 minutes of sport at moderate intensity at least three times a week, excluding recreational walking and infrequent recreational cycling).
• Most men (72%) do not know the recommended level of physical activity.
• Men in lower income groups are much less likely to be physically active: men in the lowest 20% in terms of household income are almost twice as likely to be inactive as men in the highest quintile.
• Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese men are less likely than the general population to meet physical activity recommendations. Bangladeshi men have particularly low levels of physical activity with just 26% meeting the recommendations.

Further info

Sources of further statistical information include:

• The Chief Medical Officer’s recently-published 2009 Annual Report contains a chapter on physical activity (entitled ‘Moving to nature’s cure’).
• The Eurobarometer survey on sport and physical activity published in March 2010 suggests that, in the words of the headline on malehealth, UK men are the lazy slobs of northern Europe. Download the UK data here or download the full report from Eurobarometer.
• The NHS Information Centre for health and social care has collated a range of data. This includes a link to one of the key sources, the 2008 Health Survey for England.
• The British Heart Foundation’s website also contains a wide variety statistics on physical activity.
• Sport England produces data on participation in sport.
• Two recent government policy reports on physical activity contain some statistical information: Be active, be healthy: a plan for getting the nation moving and Active Travel Strategy.
• As well as making the health case for greater physical activity, Sustrans active travel and men’s health information sheet also includes useful statistics.
• For stats on younger people and adolescents, the Association for Young People’s Health (AYPH) have some useful data.