Government launches a new strategy for keeping older people fit and healthy

The Government has launched a new strategy entitled ‘Building a society for all ages’ to help Britain prepare for our ageing society.  Amongst the areas covered by the strategy, the report highlights how preventing health problems before they occur can help older people live better and healthier lives.  Light exercise is highlighted as one of the simple measures that can help older people live better. 

The report cites the free swimming initiative as an example of steps that have been taken to increase physical activity amongst senior citizens, with around 80% of English councils having taken this up.  The report commits to building on this to create more opportunities to improve the range of physical activities available that have clear benefits to older people’s health and general wellbeing. Sport England’s funding of the 46 national governing bodies of sport also includes plans to encourage the over 50s to participate in sport and will help create a world leading community sport system.

The strategy commits to addressing current decreases in physical activity with age and indicates that at the moment the fitness industry is not taking full advantage of the market opportunities demographic change represents. In seeking to address this, the government will organise a high-level conference with major sporting and physical activity governing bodies and industry leaders to encourage them to establish activities and events aimed at the over 50s.

Alongside this report, the Government has also published an implementation plan setting out a timetable for when each element of the strategy will be taken forward.  Pilots of an online health and lifestyle assessment for people aged 45-60 are already underway, focusing on factors including smoking, healthy eating, alcohol use, physical activity and emotional wellbeing.  Subject to the success of the pilots, it is anticipated that the Department of Health will roll out the NHS Mid-life LifeCheck nationally in late 2009.

For a copy of the full report please see here