Why it is important
Research shows that being physically active has many benefits for your health and wellbeing. It can lower the risk of long‑term conditions such as:
- diabetes
- heart disease
- arthritis
- support better mood
- confidence and self‑esteem
- reduce loneliness
- help maintain cognitive function as you age
Regular activity also strengthens communities by reducing stress and social isolation.
Regular physical activity plays an important role in keeping people healthy, but levels of activity in Luton show that many adults, children and young people are not meeting national guidelines.
In Luton, 30.5% of adults are inactive, meaning they do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week, which is higher than the national figure of 22.6%. Just over half of adults (57.6%) meet the Chief Medical Officer’s guideline of 150 minutes of activity per week, compared with 67.1% across England.
The Chief Medical Officers recommend that children and young people are active for at least 60 minutes each day. Data shows that 41.8% of children and young people in Luton meet this level, which is lower than the England average of 47%.