North East councils working together to get adults moving - launch Everybody Act

Everybody Active North East is a collaborative project between all twelve North East councils and Public Health England (PHE) North East.  It aims to increase levels of physical activity in adults by showcasing a different physical activity in a different part of the region each month.

The project is based on the UK Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) guidelines about the benefits of physical activity for adults and older adults.

With people living longer, physical activity is becoming more important for adults and older adults, to ensure they’re able to enjoy their lives as pain free as possible.

Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “We’ll be kicking things off this month (February) with our Move a Mile campaign. We’ll be encouraging people to run, walk, swim, cycle and even dance a mile. Whatever people’s current activity levels, age or ability, there is something for everyone to get involved in.

“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. It can also reduce the risk of developing certain diseases, in particular type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Catherine Parker, Health and Wellbeing Programme Lead at PHE North East said: “There are lots of health problems relating to quality of life that people don’t instantly associate with physical activity. Doing the amount of activity recommended by the Chief Medical Officer can help to improve sleep, maintain a healthy weight, and even manage stress. This project is a great opportunity for people to find out more about what’s going on in their area to help them be more physically active. We’re hoping that the project helps people get into some great habits now that can help them to have a good quality of life, for the rest of their lives.

“It’s never too late to start being physically active, and just ten minutes at a time provides benefit. People can start small and build up gradually. It’s also an opportunity to get together with friends, and even make some new ones.”

A wealth of evidence shows that an active life is essential for physical and mental health and wellbeing. As well as being fun and a great way to socialise, regular physical activity can guard against a number of diseases. The evidence shows that physical activity in adults can reduce the chances of:

•    Type II Diabetes by 40%
•    Cardiovascular Disease by more than a third
•    Falls, depression and dementia by a third
•    Joint and back pain by a quarter
•    Some cancers like colon and breast by a fifth

The CMO guidelines recommend either 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 of moderate intensity activity, or a combination of both per week. All twelve North East councils have come together to focus on a different activity each month in their own area, starting with Hartlepool Borough Council.

People can get involved with the campaign on twitter using #neactivity.

Last modified: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 09:13:49 BST