British Heart Foundation National Centre Welcomes Physical Activity Commission Report

The British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC) voiced support for the All-Party Commission report on physical activity and the focus it brings to the importance of exercise in the UK.

The British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC) hailed the All-Party Commission report on physical activity in the UK, released yesterday. The report, titled Tackling Physical Inactivity – A Coordinated Approach, is based on written submissions and oral evidence from individuals across the UK, and contains findings of a five-month investigation into physical inactivity in the country. The main conclusion of the report is that inactive lifestyles can only be tackled if everyone, from the national and local government to the private sector and individual citizens, are involved in the effort.

Established in 2000 with funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the BHFNC is part of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, and has produced many resources that support the main findings of the All-Party Commission report. The organisation is dedicated to promoting physical activity, health, training and guidance to encourage individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles. The organisation's projects focus on areas ranging from primary care to research and cover the three main age groups: children, young people, and older adults.

The All-Party Commission report highlights the importance of having a strong national plan of action, one supported by all the main political parties, and of getting the message out about the vital role physical activity plays in health. The report also calls for the private sector and public services to work together to provide places that encourage physical activity, and it stresses the importance of making exercise part of the lifestyle by developing and consolidating positive experiences in the early years.

"We welcome this report and the focus it draws onto the debate around physical activity in the UK," said Elaine McNish, BHFNC Director. "We are interested to see how it is received by the main parliamentary parties and we hope to see physical activity forming a key part of their manifestos as a result."

"This is an exciting time for physical activity in the UK with some of the great work that is currently going on. However we recognise that there is a long way to go and the BHFNC looks forward to working with key partners to continue to support practitioners and policy in this area."

The report is available for download here.

Source: BHFactive.org