National Physical Activity Strategy
The Scottish Government aims to increase and maintain the proportion of physically active people in Scotland, through the continued implementation of the physical activity strategy 'Let's make Scotland more active'. The strategy was published in February 2003. Scotland was one of the first countries in the world to have such a strategy in place.
The strategy is consistent with World Health Organisation (WHO) policy and the five main strategies of the 'Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion' (1986)
These five main strategies are as follows:
- Building healthy public policy
- Creating supportive environments
- Strengthening community action
- Developing personal skills
- Directing health services at the people who need them most
"Scotland's physical activity strategy is an excellent example of how policymakers can adopt an integrated and multi-sectoral approach to improve public health and reduce chronic disease"
Dr Pekka Puska, Director, Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, World Health Organization
Targets
The strategy endorses international recommendations that adults should accumulate at least thirty minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days of the week, with children undertaking at least one hour most days. We know that at present 37 per cent of girls, 26 per cent boys (2-15), 67 per cent women and 56 per cent men (16-74) in Scotland are not meeting these targets. We have set a target for physical activity levels in Scotland: by 2022 50 per cent of adults and 80 per cent of children will meet the current recommended levels.
To meet our target the percentage of the population meeting recommended levels will need to increase annually by an average of 1 per cent. Later this year we will receive the latest Health Scotland survey results, which will show whether we are still on course to meet these targets
The Health Improvement Fitness Challenge
Sport and Public Health Minister Shona Robison has pledged that on at least five days a week, 30 minutes of her busy daily life will go towards keeping active.
She will also keep a weekly online blog charting the ups and downs of fitting more physical activity into her work and personal life.