Innovation: UKActive

United Kingdom

AAI Domains:

• Participation in society (political participation)

• Independent, healthy and secure living (physical exercise)

Promoting physical activity is a challenge that must be addressed by all parts of society as the health and well-being risks of a sedentary lifestyle from high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasing. Social innovations have an important role to play in nudging people of all ages to be more active on a regular basis in a variety of ways. There are often barriers to participation in physical exercise that need to be understood and overcome if the level of physical activity is to increase and have positive effects on the health and well-being of the population.

UKActive was established in 2012 as a re-branded and refocused not-for-profit association that superseded the Fitness Industry Association that had existed since 1991 to promote participation in gyms and recreational leisure facilities. UKActive is an association with more than 3,500 members from the active lifestyle sector including local authority leisure centres, outdoor fitness providers, private gym chains along with organisations such as Public Health England from the public sector, the Local Government Association (the umbrella body for local government), Sport England (a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation) and corporate members.

UKActive campaigns for physical activity at a national level, has a research institute at the University of Greenwich that specialises in the evaluation of physical activity initiatives and facilitates partnerships between members that encourage participation in physical activity of all kinds. For example, UKActive provide corporate social responsibility advice and support to Asda, a large supermarket chain, with their Asda Active campaign that supported community sports and leisure events.

UKActive champions innovation and the sharing of good practice in promoting physical activity that is undertaken by members across the UK. The organisation‘s priorities include

• helping children and young people to be more active by helping them to find activities they enjoy, with a particular emphasis on teenage girls

• improving adult health and well-being

• employee health and workplace wellness initiatives

• weight management programmes

• supporting older people to be more active

• exercise as medicine.

UKActive has produced a range of reports and guidance on promoting physical activity that highlight innovative practices that have been used in different localities to promote a more active lifestyle. For example, the research institute collected 952 responses to a survey of physical activity offers across England covering public, private and third sector provision that contributed to Public Health England’s publication on identifying what works for local physical inactivity interventions.

In relation to active ageing, UKActive is focused on the promotion of physical exercise for all groups across the whole of the life course. It is also a campaigning organisation that promotes a form of political participation for physical activity at the local and national level. The high levels of physical inactivity that characterise the UK and other societies means that there is an enormous amount of work to do to get people moving and UKActive provides a good example of a broad coalition approach.

UKActive website