Maintaining an active life as we get older

We are living longer, but not in better health.

Too many older adults are not able to enjoy the benefits of an active life.

This can impact both our health and our quality of life – our strength to lift the grandchildren, our mobility to see friends and our capability to remain independent in our own homes.

Regardless of your age, movement makes people happier and healthier.

What we did and how communities benefitted

Despite the positive benefits, we know that maintaining an active life as we get older can be challenging.

Work, family and caring commitments can understandably take priority and societal narratives often reinforce the notion that as we age, we will and should slow down.

And so, Sport England has worked with 25 Active Ageing partners over the past five years to support more than 30,000 older adults into sport and physical activity; and, to learn how to provide positive, inclusive physical activity experiences that support older adults to build more sport and physical activity into their daily lives.

What we've learned about maintaining and developing an active life as we get older

Our participants embraced all manner of activities from dance and gymnastics to coastal rowing - challenging stereotypes about what older adults would be interested in and that getting older means slowing down.

The importance of co-production across the project lifecycle

The example of 10 Today and its wonderfully charismatic presenter, Terry, shows the power of this approach. They created a strong sense of community and belonging through constant insight gathering and product testing with their audience to adapt the offer to respond to their evolving motivations, needs and physical capabilities of their audience.

Terry demonstrated seated and standing adaptations of the activities depending on how you might be feeling today, and the 10 minute broadcasts were filmed as if in Terry’s home to help the activity feel more achievable within daily life.

The co-production thread continues into our evaluation and learning activities.

Our partners co-produced more appropriate evaluation frameworks, data collection tools and accessible measures with their participants.

This helped more people to value and take part in the evaluation, so it could better reflect the full impact of the projects and be used to enhance participants' experiences.

You can see the learnings of this approach informing our evaluation and learning for Uniting the Movement.

The power of fun and age positive offers

This 'Dance On' video – from a community-based dance programme in Leeds, Bradford and Doncaster - showcases another example of how the right opportunity and support can reframe physical activity as a fun and achievable experience, irrespective of your age.

Their messaging, imagery, music and language are all person-centered with their promotional materials showing what the experience is like to reassure and alleviate any concerns.

And whilst health is a key outcome, their video highlight the fun elements – “I like all the jiggling about!” – and the positive impact on mood, friendships, and the ability to do every-day tasks. These tangible, short-term, benefits are more relevant and attainable for participants.
 

I would like to thank all our Active Ageing partners and the evaluation team at CFE research partners who have contributed to these learning resources and to a collective aspiration that collectively we can deliver more relevant, attainable and enjoyable physical activity and health offers for people as they get older.