Introduction
It is generally accepted that physical activity
confers benefits to psychosocial health, functional
ability and general quality of life [1] and has been
proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
[2] and some cancers [3]. Here, physical activity
refers to ‘any bodily movement produced by skeletal
muscles that results in energy expenditure’ [4].
Conditions associated with physical inactivity
include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, back pain,
poor joint mobility and psychosocial problems
[5–7]. Physical inactivity is a major public health
challenge in the developed world and is recognized
as a global epidemic [8]. Within the United States,
the rate of childhood obesity is expected to reach
40% in the next two decades [9] and Type 2
diabetes is expected to affect 300 million people
worldwide within the same time [10].
The UK government has set a target for ‘70%
of the population to be reasonably active (for example
30 minutes of moderate exercise five times
a week) by 2020’ [8, 11] (p. 15). This target could
be described as ambitious; only 37% of men and
24% of women in the United Kingdom currently
meet this benchmark [12]. The Health Survey for
England (HSE) [13] found that the number of
physically inactive people (less than one occasion
of 30-min activity per week) was increasing and
that this trend was consistent for both genders andacross all age groups [14]. Conventionally, sport
and forms of physical activity such as aerobics,
running or gym work have been the focus of efforts
to increase population activity levels. The HSE
measure includes activities, such as gardening and
housework, which are not traditionally considered
as physical activity. Sport England found that in
the 10-year period between 1987 and 1996 participation
in traditional types of sport and physical
activity stagnated or fell in all groups other
than the 60- to 69-year old age group. This trend
was socially patterned by gender, socio-economic
status, social class and ethnicity [15]. There are
many broad influences upon physical activity
behavior including intra-personal, social, environmental
factors and these determinants vary across
the life course [4].
Ambitious national targets and increased funding
of community sport and physical activity projects
(such as the Sports Hub in Regent’s Park, London)
[16] show that sport and physical activity is gaining
social, political and health policy importance. The
increased interest in physical activity is welcome,
but the trend data hints that current interventions to
promote sport and physical activity are inadequate.
Further, it questions whether the evidence base
supporting physical activity policy provides an
adequate understanding of the reasons for participation
or non-participation in physical activity.