- National
This report brings together the best available evidence to prove the well known conclusion that sport and recreation are good for you, whilst also identifying where more research is required. It explores the impact of physical activity on physical health, mental health, education and employment, antisocial behaviour and crime and social cohesion. It suggests that a range of aerobic, resistance and weight bearing activity should be undertaken for optimal physical gain, and that regular leisure time physical activity can improve quality of life in the general population and amongst those with a mental illness. It also observes that regular physical activity can lead to increased learning capacity and productivity, but identifies a gap in research of the relationship between physical activity and crime reduction. Lastly, despite the difficulty in collecting empirical evidence, it recognises that sport and recreation are used as tools for social cohesion due to their positive contribution to many of the factors that promote it. The document also provides a number of infographics containing key data for each of the above sections.
