The gray wave of walkers is leading to record activity among the over-55s in England
A silver-bullet rise in walking has led to record levels of physical activity among over-55s in England, the latest edition of the authoritative magazine shows Active Lives Adult Survey has revealed.
Figures from November 2022 to 2023 show that 62.3% of 55-74 year olds did at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week, compared to 57% in 2016 when the survey was first conducted. Even more striking was the increase in activity among the over-75s: 42.8% are considered active, compared to 33.4% seven years ago.
Tim Hollingsworth, the CEO of Sport England who commissioned the Active Lives research, said the increase in the number of active older people was crucial in helping overall activity levels return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.
“There are now two million more active people in England since 2016 – two million more people reaping the benefits of an active life,” Hollingsworth said. “It’s great to see older people taking the lead. This group has traditionally faced many barriers to exercise, but – like all of us – has so much to gain from physical activity.”
Analysis from Sport England found that an increase in walking for leisure was behind the rising figures. Just under 60% of 55-74 year olds said they walk regularly, compared to just over 53% in 2016. Leisure walking among the over 75s rose from 43% to 49% in that period, while other forms of activity decreased. .
Research from the charity Age Concern found that motivation and more information were key to increasing activity among older people, and it could be that a better understanding of the health benefits of walking has helped. Similarly, older people appear to have maintained their pandemic habits, while walking for leisure has declined among other cohorts after a peak in 2020-2021.
Across all age groups, activity levels were broadly flat year-on-year, with 63.4% of all adults active, compared to 63.1% in 2022. Inactivity levels were also stable at 25.7% compared to 25.8%. However, the differences were more visible when viewed through the prism of class, ethnicity and geography. Black and Asian people (excluding Chinese) are less likely to continue exercising than white people, and are the only ethnic groups for which activity has fallen since 2016. The most affluent people are also about 20% more likely to be active than the least (72). % to 52%). Finally, the differences by location were also significant. The most active area of the country was the South West, with 68% of respondents meeting the 150-minute target. In the West Midlands that figure is 60%, with the gap growing by 2% over the past seven years.