Infrastructure to getting people active and living healthier, longer lives is under-resourced - Robert Copeland

In his report Lord Darzi said the government should ‘make healthy life expectancy a central focus of everything they do’ – with aspirational long-term health targets similar to those on climate change.

Healthy and Active 100 is one of the major themes of research at Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre which I lead. Our research is focused on how the physical activity system can help drive these changes and reshape our nation’s health and wellbeing, helping people to live well for longer.

The evidence supporting the benefits of a physically active lifestyle is well established and compelling, with a simple message across the lifespan that ‘some is good, more is better’. Children who have positive, movement-rich experiences as they grow up have better educational outcomes, are more likely to be employed and take greater control of their health and wellbeing as adults.

As people age, we know that physical activity can help prevent and manage many non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and some types of cancer. Strength exercises and cardiovascular fitness in midlife are crucial for sustaining function and independence, reducing our engagement with healthcare services. Not only are active adults less likely to require hospital treatment, they are also more productive, contributing positively to the economy. Keeping active in later life promotes mental wellbeing and cognitive function, and helps to alleviate feelings of isolation and depression.

According to Lord Darzi however, too many people end up in hospital, because too little is spent in the community to support people to stay active and keep well where they live. Creating the conditions across our communities that make it easier for people to be physically active can significantly improve the health of our nation. The infrastructure needed to deliver these conditions already exists, it is however, chronically under-resourced, relying on short-term investment that means organisations who support people at street level with non-judgemental intervention, cannot plan or scale what they do. This needs to change.

Moving care from hospital to community is not a new concept. In Sheffield, as part of the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, a legacy commitment of the London 2012 Olympic Games, an innovative hub and spoke model of co-location was established. These ‘wellbeing hubs’ brought together healthcare clinics from a range of medical specialties and physical activity opportunities within bespoke community leisure facilities. The model shaped the environment to make it easier for people with health needs to engage in physical activity as part of their NHS treatment, bringing care closer to patients in their communities.

While our increasing reliance on technology provides some challenges relating to physical inactivity, it’s also important to recognise the opportunities we have by embracing digital innovations.

Professor Robert Copeland is director of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.