Experts analyse likely impact of London 2012 Olympics on physical activity
16 March 2009
The 2012 Olympics should be promoted as part of a series of festival events in order to involve as many people as possible and to leave a lasting legacy, a team of experts from Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent have concluded.
The team analysed the potential impact of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on physical activity, sports participation and health as part of a programme of research commissioned by the Department of Health.
Leading authorities in sport and physical activity carried out a worldwide systematic review of research evidence. Their findings are expected to significantly impact on the implementation of the Government’s 2012 Legacy Action Plan which sets out plans to achieve post-Olympic targets in a range of areas.
Key findings include:
1. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has the potential to play a key role in increasing participation and improving health but only as part of wider initiatives and strategies,
2. For current or lapsed sports participants, the Government’s Legacy Action Plans needs to capitalise on the ‘demonstration effect’ (athletes acting as role models to inspire increased sport participation) and boost the local range and availability of new sports activities, particularly the less traditional ones,
3. For the sedentary and least active, informal physical activity participation in the community can be encouraged by capitalising on ‘festival effects’ that encourage informal celebratory involvement at events that do not necessarily involve participation in Olympic and Paralympic sports,
4. Use should be made of the national platform of celebration by promoting locally owned and culturally relevant 2012 ‘festival effects’. This will develop and maintain the public’s positive feeling towards hosting the 2012 Games and tap into the ‘once in a lifetime’ feel,
5. Legacy efforts must be robustly evaluated and set a benchmark for the evaluation of future Olympic and Paralympic events.
Professor Mike Weed, who headed up the review on behalf of the University’s Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR), said: “The findings of this report will help to ensure that initiatives designed to capitalise on the physical activity, sport and health benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are informed by the best available evidence from around the world. The findings show that initiatives need carefully planning and should be tailored for different target groups.”
Professor Weed continued: “The Olympic and Paralympic Games do not inspire everyone in the same way - in fact, what inspires some may have the opposite effect on others. In particular, evidence suggests that elite sport rarely motivates physical activity take-up among non-participants and the least active. For these groups, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games should be promoted as a four year festival of community participation events rather than an elite sport competition.”
Professor John Newton, The Regional Director for Public Health for the South East said: “This review will help us to secure a true and lasting health and physical activity legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. It has clearly set out the lessons learned from the best available international evidence.”
For a full report of the findings please log on to www.wellbeingsoutheast.org.uk website. For an interview with Professor Mike Weed, please contact Canterbury Christ Church University’s Media Relations Officer, David Cutts, on 01227 782391.
Notes to Editor
1. The work was carried out by the Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR) at Canterbury Christ Church University and commissioned by the Department of Health. The team, led by Professor Mike Weed and Esther Coren, evaluated the evidence base for leveraging physical activity and health legacies from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
2. Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR)
The Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (SPEAR) is a cross-departmental and cross-faculty research centre at Canterbury Christ Church University that brings together expertise across and outside the university and facilitates collaborative working. In particular, SPEAR brings together expertise in Sports Science, Tourism and Leisure, in Education and Health.
SPEAR conducts theoretically informed critical analyses in sport, physical education, physical activity and leisure. It has funding from a range of public, private and not-for profit organisations which enables it to retain independence from any one funding body or organisation. SPEAR produces outputs that range from theoretical and conceptual academic analyses, through critical commentaries and reflections on current developments, to commissioned research and consultancy, all of which are informed and underpinned by work on the development of effective and efficient methodologies.
SPEAR’s strengths lie in three areas:
1. Social and policy aspects of physical education and youth sport;
2. Social scientific investigations of sport and leisure behaviours and policy;
3. The psychological bases for health, exercise and physical activity policy and promotion, particularly in children.
In drawing these three areas together, the work of SPEAR focuses around four overlapping themes: Children, Activity, Policy and Experiences.
The South East England Health Strategy was published in February 2008. It identifies the main priorities and actions needed to improve the health of people living in the South East, focusing on six specific themes:
• Health inequalities - reduce health inequalities and raise the life expectancy of the most socially disadvantaged;
• A sustainable region - promote sustainability to maximise the positive impact on people's health;
• Safer communities - reduce violence and create a safer, sustainable community promoting social cohesion and well-being;
• Employment and health - improve workplace health and social inclusion in employment to create a more productive workforce and promote greater population well-being;
• Children and young people - promote the physical and mental well-being of children and young people;
• Later life - improve the healthy life expectancy of older people and reduce inequalities in health by adding years to life, adding life to years and adding dignity to care.
Healthy weight is a key focus of the health strategy. One of the aims is to raise physical activity levels across the population with a particular focus on certain groups: families with young children, girls and young women, older people and people with poor health. The recommendation for adults including older people is for them to achieve 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on at least five days per week and for children to be doing 60 minutes seven days per week.
Contact Details:
David Cutts
01227 782391
Email the Press Office
Printer friendly version