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 (2023/24). 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 (67.4%). However, in Blackburn with Darwen (57.8%) and Blackpool (48.9%) the rates are significantly lower, with Blackpool having the lowest proportion of physically active adults in England (of all county and unitary authorities).
• Pendle (60.7%), Hyndburn (60.3%), and Burnley (59.5%) are estimated to have a significantly lower proportion of physically active adults  compared to England, whilst all other districts have similar proportions to England.
• Over a fifth (22.3%) of the adult population in Lancashire-12 is physically inactive (adults doing less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week), similar to England (22.0%). Again Blackburn with Darwen (31.6%) and Blackpool (36.6%) had much higher rates of inactivity, Blackpool being the worst in England.
• Physical Inactivity (under 30 minutes moderate activity per week) is highest in those districts with the lowest rates of activity (150+ minutes of moderate activity per week), Burnley (29%), Pendle (29%) and Hyndburn (26.4%) were significantly higher levels of inactivity than estimated for England. Meanwhile in Ribble Valley there are much lower levels of inactivity with 17.9% of adults doing under 30 minutes of moderate activity (lower than for England, 22%).
• 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 (16.65) they are similar to England.
• 9 districts have significantly lower proportions of adults walking 3 days per week, 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 2023/24 found that in Lancashire under half (an estimated 46%) of children were physically active, this is significantly lower than the England proportion of 47.8%.
• Preston (58.1%) is estimated to have significantly higher proportions of physically active children whilst in South Ribble (42.9%) , Pendle (40.6%), Burnley (38.2%), and Fylde (37.3%) significantly lower proportions of children engage in the recommended amount of daily physical activity.
• In Blackburn with Darwen (47%) and Blackpool (46.4%) there are similar rates of physical activity to England.

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 July 2025