Summit hears about links between inactivity and mental health issues

17/11/2020
Summit hears about links between inactivity and mental health issues

Findings from a survey shared with delegates at an Inactivity and Obesity Summit suggests that many people in Surrey use exercise to manage their everyday worries - more than reveal them to friends and family.

Findings from a physical activity survey suggest exercise helps us manage our worries, as a county-wide summit on October 12 heard how more needs to be done for key groups.

Over half (57%) of respondents to an Active Surrey survey in October say they use exercise as one way of managing their worries and almost four in ten say it makes them happy. This very positive news comes at a time when maintaining good mental health has never been more relevant, as we face a winter under some form of COVID restrictions.

The survey also revealed that 74% of the 600+ people who responded are motivated to keep healthy to feel better about themselves – suggesting that taking responsibility for their personal wellbeing is a clear driver for those who consciously choose to move more.  

Figures from the Chief Medical Officer show that people who do regular physical activity have a 30% lower risk of depression.

The findings of the local survey were explored at an online summit for public and community groups who discussed why moving more, matters. Delegates to the event heard that keeping active – whatever our age – is not just important for individual health and wellbeing but also benefits our communities and our environment.

Organised by Active Surrey in conjunction with Public Health, speakers from Surrey County Council, Surrey Heartlands and Sport England set the scene for delegates to explore what could be done to help marginalised groups have equal opportunities to stay active. Workshops focussing on groups including disabled people, the elderly and carers heard from guests with first-hand experience.

Comparing Surrey to other areas of the country, the County Council’s Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment Transport and Infrastructure outlined that while more Surrey residents are regarded as fully active compared to the rest of England (67% of residents report doing 150 minutes of physical activity per week), 20% are classed as inactive. 

This means that over 195,000 adults in the county are doing less than 30 minutes of any sort of physical activity each week, whether that be ‘formal’ exercise or simply walking to the shops. Measured over the last 12 months, the number of inactive people in Surrey has gone up while those who are hitting the recommended 150 minutes per week has decreased.

Thanks in part to the pandemic, the link between physical health and mental wellbeing for these key groups was a constant theme throughout the summit. Amongst some of the points discussed, delegates heard how:

  • A larger study undertaken by Surrey County Council1 showed that coronavirus has impacted residents’ mental wellbeing with over a quarter of those surveyed reporting feeling more anxious or stressed. This feeling was particularly significant amongst residents aged 16-34.
  • Age UK have reported that one in three older people are claiming to have less energy and one in five are less steady on their feet than before they were forced to self isolate, while depression rates in the over 70’s has doubled2.
  • Older people from more disadvantaged backgrounds had seen a greater decline in their health than more advantaged older people.

Lil Duggan, Managing Director for Active Surrey said: “The simple fact is that moving less has an inevitable impact on the mental wellbeing of us all. In addition, it increases the risks of other health conditions developing and directly affects residents’ happiness due to the removal of social contact. 

“The closure of community club and leisure activities has impacted on many, but those who are already the most disadvantaged seem to have lost out even more. It’s vital that all of us providing services in Surrey work together to bring about long term change post-COVID.”

Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment Transport and Infrastructure at Surrey County Council commented: “Inactivity is not equal amongst our communities”. 

She went on to explain to attendees “As a group of public service and community organisations in Surrey, we have a moral imperative to tackle this inequality. And beyond that, we have a business imperative, as our services simply cannot cope with the increasing burden of supporting the result of inactivity”

Active Surrey will be incorporating feedback from the summit into the development of a Physical Activity Strategy for the county which they aim to publish in spring 2021.

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