With 26,000 inactive people on the Isle of Wight, a strategy is being devised to get people up and moving.
As part of the Isle Of Wight Council’s focus on obesity this year, more is being done to reverse the impact the Covid pandemic has had on people’s active lifestyles – ranging from the simplest, natural form of activity like a walk to school to taking part in sports clubs.
Early data from Sports England shows almost 20 percent of people have admitted to doing ‘a lot less’ physical activity compared to an average week before the Covid restrictions.
Before the Covid pandemic, figures were showing, 14,000 people on the Island were doing no physical activity, 10,000 doing light exercise but missing the intensity needed and 2,000 completing less than half an hour of activity a week – all deemed as physically inactive.
While the Island has a lower average of inactive people compared to Hampshire and England, concerns are still being raised about people’s health going forward from the pandemic, which may have been further hampered by already existing inequalities.
Energise Me, a charity focused on physical activity to build happier, healthier and stronger communities, has been commissioned to put together a strategy that will be adopted by the council’s health and wellbeing board, who will help roll it out across public bodies on the Island.
The Isle of Wight Council’s chief executive, John Metcalfe, said the perception of activity may need to change to get more people involved and to break barriers.
Julie Aimes, chief executive of Energise Me, said one of the changes they have tried to make is stripping back what physical activity means, losing connotations of hard and heavy exercises to just getting people moving more, making it ‘as simple as possible’ for people to become active.
Physical activity will also be built into recovery plans as part of the care pathway. A workshop is being held to further define the strategy, with more than 200 people involved.
A lot of inactivity has to do with physical ailments which people have been unable to get sorted out due to the, understandable, shielding of the heath-care system. If that can be got going again with easy access to GPs and clinics it would make a big difference
Rubbish. I know we’ve been in lockdown for the best part of a year, but have you been in it for 10 years. Islanders have been getting lazier and fatter for years now and it has nothing to do with physical ailments. It’s called fast food, ping food and pure laziness.
So true , and it would be funny if it wasnt such a huge burden on our health services.
Also Mars bars kit kats and cans of cola
Try turning off the “Stay at home” signs
Not lazy just shielding therefore less exercise. Stay home – less exercise. Come on folks, this is a no brainer.
Some may be but not most of them. Just can’t be bothered to get out and move.
Why have most been told too shield, because they’re obese and diabetic due to their overeating and laziness.
Simple facts.
They are the high risk cases, when the figures come out you will see over 60% of the covid related deaths are by those with weight issues.
I don’t need to wait for the figures, I know that already.
It’s the attitude and pure laziness of society today. Why do it myself when others will do it for me attitude you won’t stop. It’s just how things are now and the tax payer has to pay for it. It will only get worse.
I agree entirely! I mean, there’s too much eating going on and not enough moving and the UK taxpayer will be picking up the tab for decades. It boils down to education and I don’t necessarily mean formal education but just common sense and upbringing.
How do they know? Have they been tracking people?
Broardening opportunities for exercise can surely only be a positive development.
I’d like to see extension of the cycling network, new cycling lanes and continued upkeep of our footpaths.
And some wider lanes for the lazy lard asses when they start to move about again cause its summer icecreams and chips every day.
That would be super!