Physical activity

The benefits of physical activity are well documented. Physical activity can help reduce the risk of non-communicable or chronic diseases that negatively affect healthy life expectancy, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. It can also support mental health, through improving mood and reducing stress, while improving energy levels and sleep quality.

The health benefits of being physically active include:

• a 30% lower risk of early death;
• a 30% lower risk of falls (among older adults);
• up to a 20% lower risk of breast cancer;
• up to a 30% lower risk of dementia;
• up to a 30% lower risk of depression;
• up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke;
• up to a 50% lower risk of colon cancer;
• up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes;
• up to a 68% lower risk of hip fracture; and
• up to an 83% lower risk of osteoarthritis.*

Key findings

Adults

Estimates of physical activity levels come from national and local surveys, with the latest nationally published figures from the Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey (2024/25). The Chief Medical Officer’s report (2011) recommends that adults aged 19-64 years undertake 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week; examples of moderate activity include brisk walking, water aerobics, doubles tennis, riding a bike (on level ground or with a few hills), hiking, pushing a lawn mower or skateboarding. 

• The survey estimates that over two-thirds (66.9%) of the adult population (19+ years) in Lancashire-12 are physically active (meeting the national guidelines of a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week), statistically similar to the England proportion (68.0%).  In Blackpool, 58.5%% of adults are physical active whilst in Blackburn with Darwen 56.4% are, these are both statistically significantly lower than England.
• In Ribble Valley and Rossendale the percentage of adults estimated to be physically active is significantly higher than observed for England at 79.1% and 75% respectively whilst in Wyre (62.4%), Burnley (62.1%), Preston (61.9%), Pendle (61.5%), and Hyndburn (60.8%) the percentage is significantly below that of England.
• 22.9% of the adult population in Lancashire-12 is physically inactive (adults doing less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week), statistically significantly higher than England (21.8%). Blackburn with Darwen (30.7%) and Blackpool (32%) had much higher rates of inactivity.
• Physical Inactivity (under 30 minutes moderate activity per week) is generally highest in those districts with the lowest rates of activity (150+ minutes of moderate activity per week), Pendle (30.0%), Preston (29.3%),Hyndburn (27.9%), and Burnley (27.6%) all have higher rates of inactivity whilst Ribble Valley (16.1%), Rossendale (16.6%), and South Ribble (16.9%) all have significantly lower levels of inactivity.
• Data from 2022/23 show that in Lancashire 13.8% of adults walk for travel at least three days per week which is significantly lower than observed nationally (England 18.6%). In Blackburn with Darwen (11.3%) the rates are also significantly lower than nationally whilst in Blackpool (16.6%) they are similar to England.
• 9 districts had significantly lower proportions of adults walking 3 days per week, Burnley being the lowest at 9.4%. Only Fylde (14.2%), Preston (16.1%) and Lancaster (23.9%) are statistically similar to England (18.6%).

Children

It is recommended that children aged 5-18 should be engaging in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day.

• The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey completed by Sport England for 2024/25 found that in Lancashire only half (50.7%) of all children met the target amount of physical activity, which is statistically similar to England (49.1%). Blackpool (52.5% and Blackburn with Darwen (49.4%) are also statistically similar.
• South Ribble is the only district estimated to have a higher rate of physical activity in children when compared with England with 60.4% of children meeting the target level of activity, meanwhile in Pendle just 40.9% of children met the target which is significantly lower than observed for England.
• The lowest levels of "less active" (less than 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity across the day each week) children were found in South Ribble (21.7%) and Lancaster (23.3%) which both have lower levels than observed for England (28.4%) though Lancashire overall is similar to England at 27.1%.

For county and unitary data and further information please see below.

*NHS, 2017

For district data and full functionality of the Public Health England fingertips tool please visit the web page

Page updated May 2026