This tool brings together data for the whole of England on physical activity, including walking and cycling. It also includes data on related risk factors and conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
The physical activity tool is part of a series of products produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) providing local data alongside national comparisons to support local health improvement. The tool presents data at local level to help:
- promote physical activity
- develop understanding
- support benchmarking, commissioning and service improvement
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality accounting for 6% of deaths globally. People who have a physically active lifestyle have a 20-35% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who have a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and colon/breast cancer and with improved mental health. In older adults, physical activity is associated with increased functional capacities.
The Everybody active, every day framework is a national, evidence-based approach to support all sectors to embed physical activity into the fabric of daily life and make it an easy, cost-effective and ‘normal’ choice in every community in England.
To make everybody active, we need to monitor progress and measure the impact at a population, organisational, programme and individual level. The physical activity tool provides evidence at population level and can help promote physical activity at an organisation, programme and individual level.
About the indicators
The data is grouped into three domains:
- key indicators
- related conditions
- supporting information
Key indicators
The key indicators provide a summary overview of physical activity and includes a number of key outcomes from the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF), including the percentage of physically active adults (2.13i) and physically inactive adults (2.13ii).
Related conditions
Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of several health conditions, as listed in the related conditions domain, such as (colon/breast) cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and depression.
Supporting information
The supporting information domain provides population demographic information as well as life expectancy and deprivation values.
Contact us
For enquiries or feedback relating to the physical activity page, email profilefeedback@dhsc.gov.uk.