A worrying new report that highlights the UK’s levels of inactivity has underlined how big a challenge we all face in improving our nation’s fitness.
‘Steps to Solving Inactivity’ is a Government-backed report that aims to ‘turn the tide of physical inactivity’.
It reveals some hugely concerning trends, and Northern Bootcamp’s homeland, the North East, comes out particularly badly, tied at the top of the ‘shame’ league with the North West, with 32 per cent inactivity.
But our region isn’t alone – the national picture is incredibly depressing, too. A massive 29 per cent of people in England are classed as physically inactive, which means that more than one in four people fail to achieve 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week.
Our inactivity levels are double those of France and Germany, and 20 per cent higher than the United States. That is worth repeating: the United States, which us Brits love to sneer at for its obesity problem, is 20 per cent more active than we are.
It is now causing huge long-term health problems and is as big a killer as smoking.
The report goes to great lengths to make recommendations, investigate case studies, and examine how much is spent, per council, on tackling inactivity.
But in so many ways, the answer is a lot simpler: people need to do more exercise. Start slowly, and build up, and make sure you make time to get out and about with your family, or on your own, and do just do some physical activity.
Or, come on a boot camp and help us give you the momentum to get started and stay fit.
Either way, doing nothing is killing people: make sure you’re not amongst them.
