As healthy years drop in the South West, Active Gloucestershire is working to turn things around
New figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that healthy life expectancy in the UK has fallen to its lowest level since records began. The data reveals that both men and women are now spending fewer years of their lives in good health, with national healthy life expectancy dropping to 60.7 years for men and 60.9 years for women in 2022–2024.
Recent media coverage has highlighted the scale of the issue. Metro reports that children born today may only remain healthy until around age 61, marking a significant decline compared to previous generations.
Further analysis shows deep differences between regions. According to the Centre for Ageing Better, in some parts of the UK there is almost a 20 year gap in the number of years people can expect to live in good health, depending on where they live.
These findings underline why supporting people to stay active, connected and well as they age is more important than ever.
Physical activity plays a key role in healthier, longer lives
Evidence from the NHS shows that being physically active reduces the risk of major illnesses including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, several cancers and dementia, and can reduce the risk of early death.
The World Health Organisation also highlights that people who are not active enough face a higher risk of early mortality.
Physical activity is not about running marathons. It can be as simple as walking more, building strength gradually or finding small moments of movement throughout the day. These small steps can make a big difference to a person’s long-term health and wellbeing.
How Active Gloucestershire is supporting people to live longer better
At Active Gloucestershire, we work with partners across the county to make it easier for people to move more in ways that feel right for them. While we do not directly run physical activity sessions, we play a key role in creating the conditions that help people be active by:
- Supporting local organisations that deliver inclusive, accessible activity opportunities
- Working with communities and partners to address barriers such as cost, confidence, transport or lack of safe spaces
- Championing inclusion and accessibility, ensuring activity opportunities welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
- Advocating for the role of physical activity in improving health, reducing inequalities and strengthening communities
- Supporting older adults through the Live Longer Better network, helping people stay strong, steady and connected as they age.
- Leading the we can move movement, which brings together partners across Gloucestershire to help create a county where everyone can be active
Whether someone is already active or is currently inactive and unsure where to start, our aim is to make movement more achievable, enjoyable and part of everyday life.
Live Longer Better in Gloucestershire
Live Longer Better helps people stay active, connected and independent as they get older. It brings together organisations, health professionals, community groups and volunteers who want to support healthy ageing across the county.
We want to support people to Live Longer Better by addressing the factors that increase the rate of decline – Loss of fitness, negative attitudes, disease and inequality.
The network focuses on improving strength, balance, confidence and wellbeing, helping people feel able to continue doing the things they enjoy for as long as possible.
Chris Davis, Strategic Lead for Health, Active Ageing and Disability at Active Gloucestershire said: “The new data doesn’t tell us why healthy life expectancy is falling, but we do know that being active can support better health as we age. Moving more helps reduce the risk of many long-term conditions and supports strength, mobility and confidence. That’s why we work with partners across Gloucestershire to make activity more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Through we can move and the Live Longer Better network, we’re here to help shift the narrative on what it means to age, challenge ageist beliefs and enable people to take small steps towards feeling healthier for longer.”
Call to action
We want to encourage and support more people in Gloucestershire to take steps towards a more active life, whatever their starting point.
If you want tips, guidance and simple ways to move more and feel better, visit: https://wecanmove.net
Here you’ll find easy, friendly advice to help build activity into your life at your own pace.
If you’re an organisation, charity, community group or professional who supports older adults, we invite you to join the Live Longer Better network: https://wecanmove.net/live-longer-better-gloucestershire/
Together, we can help people across Gloucestershire live longer, healthier and happier lives.
