Recently published research shows that England has seen a slower improvement in life expectancy than all its European counterparts. What’s more, poor levels of physical activity are a key contributing factor to this situation, as are poor diets and creeping Body Mass Index (BMI) scores.
19th March 2025
In a study of 20 nations reported in The Lancet Public Health, Scotland displayed the lowest life expectancy, followed by Wales and Northern Ireland. But no country had made slower progress in this area since 2011 than England.
Life expectancy increased annually (by 0.25 years on average) between 1990 and 2011, mainly due to the significant strides made in treating cancer and heart disease. But between 2011 and 2019, this slipped to an average of 0.07 years. Then, during the Covid pandemic, life expectancy dropped by 0.6 years until 2021, effectively wiping out the progress of the previous 10 years.
In 2019, someone living in England could expect to live 81.69 years, placing the country 14th among the 20 nations studied across Europe. And although all of them (bar Norway) saw progress dip, none fared worse than England.
The study follows analysis from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) published at the start of the year, showing that numbers of deaths in England before the age of 75 due to heart and circulatory illness had soared to the highest level for more than 10 years. BHF figures show that in 2022, more than 39,000 people in England died prematurely of cardiovascular conditions including stroke, heart attacks and coronary heart disease.
Meanwhile, the 2022 Health Survey for England estimated that more than a quarter (28%) of adults in England were obese and a further 36% (i.e. over a third) were overweight.
Clearly there are two solutions – a better diet and increased physical activity.
CEO of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) told journalists:
“Getting our nation to be more physically active is now absolutely crucial. The fact that the countries seeing the biggest falls are all in the UK should be raising alarm bells with policymakers and the public.”
She also cited preventable health conditions in which lifestyle and physical inactivity were a “huge contributing factor”.
One solution for upping activity levels across all members of your community is the provision of outdoor gym equipment, whether you’re a school, residential facility or local authority responsible for parks and recreational spaces. Businesses can also provide them to encourage a fitter workforce – you also sometimes find these facilities in places where you wouldn’t necessarily expect to, such as motorway service stations.
Outdoor gyms provide sociable amenities which are cost-effective for those installing them and free at the point of use, with no costly gym memberships or hefty joining fees. The durable, safe machines provide an enjoyable, full-body workout.
People can also use the kit as part of their daily routine, for example when they’re walking the dog, taking the kids to school or getting to and from work.
Ultimately, outdoor gyms have a key part to play in supporting healthier lifestyles and extending life expectancy so that England is no longer ‘the sick man of Europe’.
Gyms under the sky from Fresh Air Fitness
Fresh Air Fitness is a leading, award-winning UK provider of outdoor gym equipment. We supply a range of high-quality pieces from sit-up benches and parallel bars to cross-trainers and bikes, including those for children and wheelchair users.
Users of all abilities and levels of fitness can benefit. Equally, machines come with a 25-year guarantee. Get in touch today via the website or call 01483 366762 to kick-start your own open-air facility – we can also advise on funding.
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