Older Adults in the UK Are Not Aware of the Strength Component Embedded in the Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines - this publication within the National Library of Medicine is a qualitative Study.

The study in August 2022 has highlighted that while strength recommendations have been included in physical activity guidelines by the Chief Medical Officer since 2011, there is very limited evidence to suggest the guidelines have been successfully adopted at a population level.

The study looked at the awareness, knowledge and action of adults taken to fulfil the recommendations; from the online interviews, it was apparent that no participants were aware of the strength guidelines. Barriers to strength training were also explored, in addition to adults being more aware of the benefits of aerobic activities, with lesser awareness of the benefits of strength training.

Also within the research are ways that practitioners can improve uptake of strength training, such as allowing for social interaction and including age-appropriate challenge.

Data released at the end of August (31st) has highlighted that the Government needs to do more to meet its own Active Travel targets. Living Streets is calling for increased investment to ensure cycling and walking targets are met, with the health and environmental benefits of increased walking and cycling to be realised.

The government produced its second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) at the end of July this year, aiming for active travel to become the natural choices for short journeys. Most recent data from the National Travel Survey (31st August) identified that the number of walking 'stages' per person each year have fallen considerably in the last couple of years, from 332 in 2019, to 281 in 2020 and 279 in 2021. A target has been set of 365 walking 'stages' per person, per year for 2022.

The Active Partnerships national team have featured an article including some of our work within Suffolk.

11 counties within England have the opportunity to use walking, wheeling and cycling in order to improve physical and mental health and to reduce disparities - through the promotion by GPs. £12.7million is being distributed nationally on this agenda, over multiple years - and Suffolk is one of the 11 areas to benefit from this investment.

These pilots specifically look to assess the impact of physical activity on an individual's health through the reduction of burden placed on the health service (reduced GP visits, less medication required etc). The funding will be used on initiatives such as bike loans, adult cycle training and cycling mental health groups. This is in tandem with investment to improving infrastructure to enhance cycling and walking participation.

The quote taken from the article about Active Suffolk's work reads:

"Active Suffolk are one of the stakeholders in the Suffolk scheme which will see £1.5 million focused on Ipswich and Lowestoft. Led by the Public Health and Transport Strategy teams at Suffolk County Council other stakeholders include the primary care networks, Healthwatch Suffolk, Community Action Suffolk, Active Suffolk, and the University of Suffolk Integrated Care Academy. The county's former NHS clinical commissioning groups - now Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System and Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System – are also stakeholders. Read more about the Active Suffolk pilot."