Physical Activity Framework

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FRAMEWORK

FOR NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

2008 – 2011

“More People, More Active, More Often”

Foreword

Contents

SECTION ONE Page

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

The Focus of this Framework……………………………………………………………………………………………6

SECTION TWO

What is Physical Activity?……………………………………………………………………………………………….8

The Health Benefits of Physical Activity……………………………………………………………………………….9

How much Physical Activity is enough?...... 11

SECTION THREE

Profile of Northamptonshire……………………………………………………………………………………………..12

How Active is Northamptonshire?...... 14

SECTION FOUR

Key Policy Drivers & Targets for Physical Activity……………………………………………………………….....16

SECTION FIVE

Structures to make it happen …………………………………………………………………………………………….19

SECTION SIX

Strategic Priorities and Objectives...... 22

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 - Glossy of Terms ……………………………………………………………………………………………31

Appendix 2 - Demographics of Northamptonshire…………………………………………………………………… 32

Appendix 3 - Northamptonshire Health Profile………………………………………………………………………..33

Appendix 4 - Physical Activity Programmes & Initiatives in Northamptonshire………………………………..35

Appendix 5 – References……………………………………………………………………………………………………38

SECTION ONE

Introduction

Regular physicalactivity not only contributes to wellbeing it is essential for good health. Increasing physical activity levels in the population helps to prevent or manage over twenty conditions and diseases1. This includes coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, and obesity. It can also improve mental health and help older people to maintain independent lives. However at present, only 37% of men and 24% of women are sufficiently active enough to gain any health benefit2.

Besides the human cost of inactivity, the economic cost in England is estimated to be £8.2 billion annuallythis includes the rising cost of treating chronic diseases. It is estimated that a further £2.5billion each year is spent on dealing with the consequences of obesity1. Again, physical inactivity is one of the main contributors. Almost two thirds of adults and a third of children in Britain are either overweight or obese. Based on current trends these figures are likely to rise to almost nine in ten adults and two thirds of children by 2050. This would lead to an anticipated seven fold increase in the direct healthcare costs of overweight and obesity, with the wider costs to society and business reaching £50 billion per year by 20503.

People who lead active lifestyles are more likely to adopt other healthy behaviour including avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, drug use and violent behaviour. Those who lead an active lifestyle during childhood and adolescence are more likely to be active throughout their lifespan, thus providing the basis for an active and healthy life4.

Over the last few decades there has been an overall decrease in levels of physical activity undertaken as part of daily routines. This is partly reflected by changes within our society; advancing technology, fewer manual jobs, increased car ownership, a reduction in the physical elements of other routine activities such as shopping and housework, with a more convenience culture starting to take over. In addition to this, many people are not aware of the proven link between good health and physical activity. Others think they are active, whereas in reality they are not doing enough to gain the health benefits. Unfortunately some are prevented by barriers such, as time, money or knowledge about what is available.

Physical activity is now recognised as a very important public health issue and policy driver:

Nationally as identified in the Department of Health (DH)Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices: Public White Paper4, Choosing Activity: A Physical Activity Action Plan5 and most recently Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England19
Regionally as identified in the East Midlands Public Health Strategy Investment for Health12
Locally as identified in the Local Area Agreementand more recently the Sustainable Communities Strategy for Northamptonshire17.

Furthermore, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offer an immense opportunity to promote sport and physical activity at all levels. The Games coming to the UK has the unprecedented potential to enhance cultural activity, regeneration, volunteering, civic pride, positive youth engagement as well as creating an environment in which sport and physical activity becomes a part of ourregion’s culture and way of life. We therefore need to utilise this unique opportunity to raise awareness of the positive benefits of leading a healthy and active lifestyle, whilst using the event to inspire and encourage more people to participate in sport and physical activity

Physical Activity Framework for Northamptonshire 2008 - 2011

The Focus of this Framework

This Physical Activity Framework has been developed by the Northamptonshire Physical Activity Forum in consultation with stakeholders across the county. Partners agree that now is the time to have a truly integrated approach to physical activity in order to maximise the investment, marketing, coordination and development of opportunities.

The Framework outlines how we are going to make sure that the people of Northamptonshire are given the opportunity to improve their life chances by becoming more active more often. It sets out the current position regarding physical activity in Northamptonshire and our targets over the next four years. It outlines the numerous partnerships and initiatives currently taking place in the county and the role they play in encouraging more people in Northamptonshire to increase their levels of physical activity and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

While sport plays a significant role in contributing towards increases in physical activity and health, it is by no means the only contributor. A physically active nation will not necessarily be a sporting nation. However, young people who experience a wide variety of sports activities are more likely to be active adults. Therefore it is important that they have opportunities to try different sports throughout their school years.

This framework will develop and increase opportunities for all forms of physical activity. However, in terms of sport this framework will link in with the county plans for sport, ensuring that they demonstrate how sport will play its part in increasing the levels of physical activity within Northamptonshire.

The Purpose:

The main purpose of this Framework is to provide coherence between organisations, their strategies and plans and specifically:

To provide a reference point for all relevant organisations to draw upon and to inform their strategic and operational approaches to physical activity
To maximise the impact of current investment, funding and resources available for physical activity
To improve coordination, capacity and commitment between organisations and agencies in the county responsible for the decisions and delivery that will encourage more people to become more physically active more often.

The Objectives:

We are committed to increasing the level of physical activity in all sectors of the community in Northamptonshire regardless of ability, ethnicity or gender. Our specific objectives are:

To increase awareness across the community of the benefits of regular physical activity.
To reduce barriers to participation and to create increased opportunities for physical activity, especially for disadvantaged groups and those who are identified as being sedentary.
To improve and expand the provision of accessible resources and facilities for physical activity across the county.
To support wider policies in sustainable transport, planning and development that contributes to a more active society.
To produce and disseminate up-to-date information on health and physical activity and on opportunities in the county.
To work together as partners to make best use of our resources and to equip staff in all our organisations to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
To ensure national and regional initiatives are used and tailored to meet the needs of the county.
To encourage a partnership approach in the planning, promotion and delivery of physical activity programmes and which meet the agreed priorities, outcomes and performance measures within this framework.

The Vision:

The vision behind the framework is to ensure that everyone who lives or works in Northamptonshire has access to a range of opportunities that will help them to be become more physically active to benefit their health.

SECTION TWO

What is Physical Activity?

The term sport, active recreation, physical activity and active living sometimes get interchanged. The definition for each is shown below.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is defined as “Any force exerted by skeletal muscle that results in energy expenditure above resting level.” (Caspersen et al., 1985). It is an all encompassing term that includes active living (e.g:housework or gardening), active recreation (e.g: walking or cycling), fitness and health related activity (e.g: going to the gymor aerobics), play and sport. Physical activity is measured in terms of:

The time it takes (duration)
How often it takes (frequency)
Its intensity (the rate of energy expenditure – or rate at which calories are burnt)

Active Living

There is an active way and an inactive way of doing most everyday things in life. Active Living is a way of life that integrates physical activity into our daily routine and everyday activities. Active living is defined as any form of physical activity which is performed as part of everyday life. Individuals may make active choices as part of their daily routine. For example - they may intentionally decide to make their journey to work an active one by walking or cycling or they may have an active occupation.

Active Recreation

Refers to generally unstructured activity that individuals freely pursue in their leisure time for a sense of enjoyment that also benefits their physical, social and emotional well being. For example – exercise, play, dance, walking, cycling and swimming for leisure.

Sport

Sport refers to “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competitions at all levels” (Council of Europe, 2001). This includes informal sport which may take place in the park or garden as well as formal and competitive sport such as football, basketball, cricket and athletics. Involvement in sport whether structured or casual, is valued at all levels for its benefits. Sport does not equate directly to physical activity, nor is it presumed that sport equates to physical education, which involves instruction for a particular purpose.

The Health Benefits of Physical Activity

The public health importance of physical activity is clear: adults who are physically active have 20-30% reduced risk of dying prematurely and up to 50% reduced risk of developing major chronic diseases such as CHD, stroke, diabetes and cancers.[i] These so called ‘lifestyle diseases’ of which obesity is at the forefront are creating a future of rising chronic disease and long-term ill health.

Physical Health

Physical inactivity is now considered a primary risk factor in coronary heart disease1. Inactive people have more than double the risk of suffering a heart attack, whilst appropriate physical activity programmes reduce the risk of mortality after heart attack by about 20%. Physical activity can also help reduce blood pressure in approximately 75% of people with hypertension and can help mitigate the effects of high levels of blood cholesterol2.

It is also estimated that one quarter of stroke incidence could be avoided by appropriate exercise and that physical inactivity may be responsible for up to a threefold increase in the risk of stroke among middle aged men2.

Inactivity increases the risk of colon cancer by up to three times and is also linked to other cancers, including the development of breast cancer. Obesity is also a risk factor for developing some cancers and this too is reduced by physical activity. Physical activity programmes have also been shown to assist people recovering from breast and other cancers1.

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2diabetes. Physical activity is one of the principal ways to lower blood glucose in type II diabetes and is protective against heart disease for those with type 1 diabetes1.

Weight-bearing physical activity, such as walking, is essential for the normal development and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. It is particularly important during childhood years and will protect against osteoporosis – or brittle bone disease – in later life. It will also reduce the risk of hip fracture by about 50%. Physical activity also contributes to the prevention and management of osteoarthritis and pain in the back, shoulders and knees.

For adults and older people physical activity has shown to improve balance, muscle strength, co-ordination and flexibility, which in turn can prevent falls – a major cause of disability in older people. It has also been shown to improve motor controland the cognitive function4.

Obesity is a life-threatening condition leading to increased cardio-vascular disease, diabetes and increased incidence of certain cancers, especially bowel cancer, and gallbladder disease. It also leads to debilitating health problems, including respiratorydifficulties, chronic muscular related problems, skin problems and infertility. Regular physical activity combined with healthy eating is crucial in the effective management of obesity and can help achieve and maintain appropriate body weight.

Obesity in England contributes to an estimated 9,000 premature deaths a year19. In England, the proportion of men classed as obese increased from 13.2 per cent in 1993 to 23.1 per cent in 2005 and from 16.4 per cent to 24.8 per cent for women during the same period. The proportion of children who are overweight has also increased by 50% in ten years. In fact, Britain is now in the grip of an obesity epidemic which Government acknowledges as a major challenge in its recent strategy, and experts have compared the scale and complexity to that of climate change19.

Mental Health

People who lead an active lifestyle over several years have a reduced risk of suffering symptoms of clinical depression. Physical activity is effective as a treatment of mild, moderate and severe clinical depression20 as exercise releases natural chemicals, such as serotonin into the brain which can have a strong effect on mood: helping to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Evidence also shows that, in both children and adults, physical activity can improve general mental health through reducing stress, increasing self-esteem, self-efficacy and increasing feelings of relaxation. Exercise also triggers the release of naturally produced chemicals that protect brain cells and keep them performing at top speeds. At any age, exercise boosts energy and concentration and helps provide a restful night’s sleep. Being unfit, ironically, often leads to increased tiredness.

Social Health

Organised sport and exercise sessions can provide the opportunity for social interaction, community involvement which in turn helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and social exclusion. For children and young people engagement in play and sports provides opportunity for self expression, improved self confidence and achievement. It also contributes to social inclusion and positive engagement with local communities and forms one of a range of strategies for reducing anti-social behaviour.

How much Physical Activity is enough?

Recommended Levels

Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to have significant effects on people’s health, general wellbeing and productivity. The Department of Health guidance recommends that1;

ADULTS – should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days a week.

YOUNG PEOPLE - should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each day. This can be continuousactivity or intermittent throughout the day. At least twice a week this should also include activity that can improve bone health, strength and flexibility.

The guidance for adults is also suitable for older adults. Older people should take particular care to keep moving and retain their mobility through daily activity. Additionally, specific activities that promote improved strength, co-ordination and balance are particularly beneficial for older people.

The key points supporting this guidance are:

Moderate activity can be characterised by breathing slightly harder and feeling slightly warmer than normal. A brisk walk will achieve this.

The recommended levels of activity can be achieved by doing all the daily activity in one 30 minute session or can be accumulated through the day in shorter bouts of 10-15 minutes.
A wide range of activity is beneficial including walking, cycling, dancing, gardening, work related physical activity etc.
These guidelines are the minimum required to achieve health benefits

SECTION THREE

Profile of Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire is a county located in central England with a population of 629,676 people (2001census). The county is divided into seven districts and is landlocked with eight different county borders: Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire (including the Borough of Milton Keynes) Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire. It is essentially rural although it lies between London and the West Midlands conurbation.

The county town is Northampton which is the largest town in the county, with a population of 194,122. This is followed by Corby (53,500), Kettering (51,063) and Wellingborough (46,959 ). Most of the county's population is concentrated in a central north-south band which includes the four largest towns. These most populated areas correlate also with levels of health inequalities. The districts in the west, Daventry and South Northamptonshire, and East Northamptonshire in the east are predominantly rural with small towns and many villages. Although in recent years the important footwear industry has declined, the economy of the County has thrived due to its proximity to London and the South East. The good roads and infrastructure in the County means it has become an important centre for the distribution trade. The County is divided into seven districts.

2007 Health Profile

This health profile of Northamptonshire (See Appendix 3, P33) has been taken from the Association of Public Health Observatories. It provides a snapshot of health in Northamptonshire and has been designed to support action by local government and primary care trusts to tackle health inequalities and improve people’s health.

Overall, the indicators of health for people living in Northamptonshire are similar to the national and regional average for England and the East Midlands