Engaging in physical activity reduces hospital admissions

A study from researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Public Health and Primary Care and MRC Epidemiology Unit calculated that for every inactive person that began some form of physical activity the NHS could save around £247 per year. This figure equates to 7% of the UK’s per capita health expenditure.

The study is based on a general population Cohort study of 25,639 men and women aged between 40 and 79 in Norfolk. Measuring physical activity during both summer and winter, including hours spent cycling, jogging, swimming and attending exercise classes/sessions, using heart rate monitoring the researchers found that the individuals participating in some form of physical activity had a 25-27% lower risk of long or frequent hospital admissions.