The government lay down a challenge to get 70% of the population physically active for 30 minutes, five times a week, by 2020. Currently only 30% of the population is achieving that target.
B- Active, a partnership initiative led by Derby City Council and NHS Derby City, aims to help bring those figures up!
You can find most of the information you need at www.bactivederby.com, but below are a few questions answered.
Why should we be more active?
Being active has a positive impact on our physical and mental health. It can help prevent many diseases including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
Physical activity can help us deal with stress and keep our weight down to a healthy level.
Older people can reduce the risk of falls and accidents and stay independent and mobile by keeping themselves physically active.
Young people can achieve better results at school by taking part in physical activity and sport.
And, ss well as this, being active makes us feel good, gives us a sense of well-being, can be good fun and can be a great way of meeting and socialising with family and friends.
Yet with all this good news, 63% of men and 75% of women in England do not meet the minimum guidelines of thirty minutes of moderate exercise – such as walking, gardening or housework – at least five days a week.
What do you mean by “physical activity”?
Anything that gets you moving! It could be walking to the local shops, going to a dance class, gardening, swimming, a school PE class, taking part in an exercise class, cycling to work, going to the gym, taking the stairs instead of the lift, playing competitive sport or kicking a ball around your local park.
What do we want to achieve with B-Active?
We want a healthier Derby where everyone is encouraged to make choices to improve their lifestyle and have the opportunity to be active today, tomorrow and for the future.
We want to do this by providing more opportunities, by increasing participation and by actively encouraging people to take part in physical activity across the city.