Throughout this factsheet, ‘no health condition or illness’ and ‘longstanding health condition or illness’ are the primary variables which have been used to understand differences between adults with a disability, and adults with no disability. In certain instances where the sample is large enough, longstanding health conditions have been further split into ‘mental’ and ‘physical’ conditions and illnesses to provide a more nuanced understanding.
Key disability headlines:
- The rate for those with a longstanding health condition or illness and those with no health condition or illness participating in 30+ minutes of physical activity 2-4 days a week mirrored the results in April 2023 – 51% [no health condition or illness] vs. 43% [longstanding health condition or illness].
- Those without a longstanding health condition or illness, are more likely to feel they have the opportunity to be physically active, which has increased by 5-percentage-points since April 2023, compared to those who have a mental or physical condition or illness - 66% vs. 49% vs. 82%.
- Those without a longstanding health condition or illness, are more likely to feel they have the opportunity to be physically active, which has increased by 5-percentage-points since April 2023, compared to those who have a mental or physical condition or illness – 66% vs. 49% vs. 82%.
- 46% of people who have a longstanding health conditions or illness are more likely to say they have been negatively impacted by the cost-of-living increases, compared to 36% of people without a longstanding health condition or illness.
- Those with a physical health condition or illness are less likely than any other group to use exercise to help manage their mental health. There has been a 7-percentage-point decrease for those with a physical condition or illness using exercise to help manage their mental health since April 2023 – 61% vs. 48% vs. 60%.
- 50% of those with a health condition or illness are able to get to their local sport and physical activity facilities compared to 61% without a health condition or illness.
- 65% of respondents without a health condition or illness find exercise enjoyable and satisfying, compared to 48% of people with a health condition or illness.
- People with mental health conditions or illnesses are more likely to worry about leaving the home to take part in physical activity than any other group – 44% vs. 33% vs. 17%.
Active Nation (Participation and Activity Type):
- 26% of the respondents with a longstanding health condition or illness have not done 30+ minutes of physical activity in the past week, compared to 14% of those with no health condition or illness.
- The rate for those with a longstanding health condition or illness and those with no health condition or illness participating in 30+ minutes of physical activity 2-4 days a week mirrored the results in April 2023 – 51% [no health condition or illness] vs. 43% [longstanding health condition or illness].
- Further into this data, those with a mental or physical health condition or illness are more likely to have reported doing 'no activity' (of 30+ minutes to raise breathing rate) in the previous week, compared to those with no health issues (these numbers have remained relatively static throughout the previous 2 surveys):
- Mental condition or illness – 23%
- Physical condition or illness – 31%
- No health condition or illness – 14%
- Respondents who have no health condition or illness (51%) are most likely to have participated in 30+ minutes of physical activity 2-4 days a week, compared to those with a mental (43%) or physical (39%) health condition or illness. Although, this number has dropped 6-percentage-points for those with a mental condition or illness since April 2023.
- Walking for leisure was the most popular activity amongst all groups, although those with no longstanding health condition or illness, are marginally more likely to participate in walking for leisure – 52% vs. 49%.
- Those with a mental condition or illness are most likely to have participated in home-based activity, compared to the other groups:
- Mental condition or illness – 21%
- Physical condition or illness – 15%
- No health condition or illness – 19%
- Those without a longstanding health condition or illness are more likely to have participated in a gym, fitness, or exercise class away from home than those with a longstanding health condition or illness. There has been a 5-percentage-point decrease since April 2023 of those with a longstanding health condition or illness participating in a gym, fitness or exercise class away from home, which has gone from 14% to 9%. Compared to 19% of those without a longstanding health condition or illness participating.
- 53% of respondents with no health condition or illness walked for leisure with somebody else, compared to 47% of respondents with a longstanding health condition or illness.
- 1 in 3 (33%) respondents with no longstanding health condition or illness are likely to volunteer to support sport and physical activity, compared to just over 1 in 4 of respondents with a longstanding health condition or illness (26%).
Everyone (Inclusivity):
- Those without a longstanding health condition or illness, are more likely to feel they have the opportunity to be physically active, which has increased by 5-percentage-points since April 2023, compared to those who have a mental or physical condition or illness:
- Mental condition or illness – 66%
- Physical condition or illness – 49%
- No health condition or illness – 82%
- Those with no health condition or illness are more likely to have said the sport and physical activity facilities in their local area are affordable, compared to those who have a longstanding health condition or illness – 45% vs. 37%.
- 46% of people who have a longstanding health conditions or illness are more likely to say they have been negatively impacted by the cost-of-living increases, compared to 36% of people without a longstanding health condition or illness.
- 25% of those with a longstanding health condition or illness have/will switch to free activities due to the cost-of-living increases compared to 21% of those with no longstanding health conditions or illnesses.
- The impact which the cost-of-living increases have had on involvement of sport and physical activity has decreased for both those without a longstanding health condition or illness – 48% vs. 51%.
Lifelong (Demand):
- Those with a physical health condition or illness are less likely than any other group to use exercise to help manage their mental health. There has been a 7-percentage-point decrease for those with a physical condition or illness using exercise to help manage their mental health since April 2023:
- Mental condition or illness – 61%
- Physical condition or illness – 48%
- No health condition or illness – 60%
- Although, those with no longstanding health condition or illness are most likely to participate in physical activity to manage their physical health than any other group. It is important to note that this has decreased by 7-percentage-points for those with a physical condition or illness since April 2023:
- Mental condition or illness – 49%
- Physical condition or illness – 48%
- No health condition or illness – 60%
- 50% of those with a health condition or illness are able to get to their local sport and physical activity facilities compared to 61% without a health condition or illness.
- Respondents with a health condition or illness are less likely to agree that there are facilities of high quality in the local area compared to respondents without a health condition or illness – 48% vs. 41%.
Enjoyment (Confidence and Enjoyment):
- 65% of respondents without a health condition or illness find exercise enjoyable and satisfying, compared to 48% of people with a health condition or illness.
- People with a physical condition or illness are the least likely to report having the ability to be physically active compared to the other groups:
- Mental condition or illness – 65%
- Physical condition or illness – 44%
- No health condition or illness – 84%
- 38% of people with a longstanding health condition or illness agree that they do not enjoy participating in physical activity on their own, this is a 7-percentage-point increase since April 2023 and 9 percentage points above the national average. In comparison, 25% of people without a longstanding health condition or illness agree they do not enjoy participating in physical activity on their own.
- People with no longstanding health conditions or illnesses are more likely have the confidence to be physically active compared to those with health conditions or illnesses – 68% vs. 42%.
- Just under 1 in 2 (47%) people who have no longstanding health conditions or illnesses are confident using gyms or fitness suites, compared to just under 1 in 3 (32%) of people with longstanding health conditions or illnesses.
- Adding to this, those who have a longstanding health condition or illness are less likely to be comfortable in an indoor gym or fitness centre – 95% vs. 85%.
- People with mental health conditions or illnesses are more likely to worry about leaving the home to take part in physical activity than any other group:
- Mental condition or illness – 44%
- Physical condition or illness – 33%
- No health condition or illness – 17%
