Inactivity among the over 55s is responsible for as many deaths as smoking – which is why we're investing £10 million of National Lottery funding into projects that will help inactive people to become active.
Find out more about our Active Ageing fund
36%
of over-55s are currently inactive
Research shows that as you get older, you’re far more likely to do less than 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies says: "We know that inactivity harms your health. If physical activity was a medicine, we would talk about it as the miracle cure."
Thirty-six per cent of people aged 55 and over are inactive compared to 26 per cent of the population as a whole. Those who are least active stand to benefit the most in terms of their health and happiness, even if it’s just small changes like walking slightly faster or further than you normally do or planning ten minutes of yoga with friends or work colleagues every morning.
Our new Active Ageing funding programme is designed to help inactive older people become active.
The programme is open to a wide range of organisations, including community and voluntary groups, charities, councils, public organisations and sports bodies – with funding amounts typically between £50,000 and £500,000 to be awarded in June 2017.
It’s the first funding to be made available following our decision to triple the amount of money we invest in tackling inactivity in our strategy Towards an Active Nation.
Click the link below for further information on our Towards an Active Nation strategy.
