Only 55.5% of UK adults meet activity guidelines

Just over half of UK adults meet recommended physical activity guidelines, according to new analysis of health and lifestyle data from almost two million Our Future Health participants.

The study found that 55.5% of participants achieved recommended activity levels, with men more likely to meet the guidance than women at 57.5% compared with 53.4%.

Adults aged 60 to 69 recorded the highest compliance rate at 58.9%, slightly ahead of 18 to 29-year-olds at 57.6%. Activity levels were lowest among people aged 80 and over, at 48.4%.

The findings also revealed a “midlife exercise gap,” with activity falling among adults aged between 30 and 49. However, women became more likely than men to meet the guidelines around retirement age.

Younger adults completed the most walking and vigorous activity. Those aged 18 to 29 walked for an average of 391 minutes each week and completed 116 minutes of vigorous exercise. Meanwhile, 70 to 79-year- olds recorded the most moderate exercise, averaging 278 minutes weekly.

South West England was the most active region, with 57.3% of participants meeting the guidelines, followed by London at 57.1%. The West Midlands recorded the lowest result at 52.4%. People in rural areas were generally more active than those living in urban locations. Income also had a clear relationship with exercise levels: 59.6% of people earning more than £100,000 met the guidelines, compared with 48.7% of those earning below £18,000.