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Sign in or register for an accountPhysical inactivity is a significant issue in the UK, contributing to one in six deaths and costing £7.4 billion annually, including £0.9 billion to the NHS. In Salford, around 32% of adults do less than 30 minutes of activity per week, with this figure rising to 45% among children and young people. Despite the well-known physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise — such as reducing the risk of over 20 chronic conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and depression — many remain unaware. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly, alongside strength training and minimising prolonged sitting. Activity levels also vary by gender, age, and ability, with older adults and people with disabilities being less active.
Between 2018/19 and 2020/21, the rate of physical inactivity among adults in Salford rose significantly, increasing from 21.7% to 30.9%. In the following two years, this trend reversed, with inactivity levels steadily decreasing, before rising again in 2023/24, reaching 25.0%, a level that is significantly higher than the national level of 22.0%.
The level of physical inactivity in Salford adults increased during the pandemic then fell back. The latest data shows a quarter of Salford adults are physically inactive, higher than the national average and similar to that seen across Greater Manchester.
[Download the physical inactivity chart data (csv format, 1kb)]
Small area physical inactivity data is available from Sport England, covering the period from November 2023 to 2024. Physical inactivity is defined as engaging in less than 30 minutes of activity per week.
The four small areas (lower super output areas, or LSOAs) of Salford with the highest levels of physical inactivity all had at least a third of adult residents who were inactive. These were in central Eccles (34%), around the Broadwalk in Pendleton (33.7%), the Lewis Street area of Barton (32.8%) and the area around Kenyon Way in Little Hulton (32.4%). These areas are all among the 10% most deprived in the country and have a higher median age compared to the averages for Salford and England—two factors that are strongly correlated with higher inactivity rates.
In contrast, 16 out of 161 LSOAs in Salford have physical inactivity levels lower than the England average, with the lowest levels recorded in areas around Chapel Street, Blackfriars and the eastern end of Regent Road, all areas characterised by having high numbers of younger adults living in new-build apartment blocks.
Across Salford the level of physical inactivity ranges from below 20% of the adult population to 34% of the adult population.
[Download the inactivity adults data (csv format, 9kb)]
National data (taken from the 2023–2024 Active Lives Report) shows that people living in the most deprived areas of the country have higher inactivity levels than those in the least deprived areas, with a widening gap.
Within Salford the latest estimates by different groups in Salford follows similar trends to national trends. For example, those of higher socioeconomic status, based on occupation and job characteristics, have the lowest levels of physical inactivity at 17.5% (17% nationally). Those from middle socio-economic groups have a collective inactivity level of 24.4% (25% nationally), whilst the lower groups are at 29% (36% nationally), including those categorised as either long-term unemployed or never worked at 46.5% (45%), which is significantly higher than the 2015-16 baseline of 37% for this group.
Moreover, inactivity increases with age. Fewer than one-in-five (18% nationally) of 16-to-24-year-olds are inactive, however, small area data looks at broader range age bands with about one in five of 16-to-34-year-olds being inactive in Salford. Rates amongst 35-to-54-years-olds are 24.6% in Salford. In those aged 55-to-74-years-old rates are more than double that of younger adults at 53.4%. These trends are similar to national trends, which reports that or 10-year age bands between 25 and 74 years old inactivity does increase with each band but still remains around 1-in-four people (rising from 22% to 26%) before jumping to 40% for 75-to-84-year-olds then 63% for over-85s. However, adults younger than 55 years olds have seen inactivity increase, whilst over 55s have decreased inactivity levels since 2015-16.
People whose ethnicity is Asian (excluding Chinese) have the highest level of inactivity (36.4 in Salford and 33% nationally), followed by other (32.3% in Salford and 29% nationally), Black (32.2% in Salford and 31% Nationally), and lowest for Mixed (22% in Salford and 19% nationally), white British (26.3% in Salford) and White Other (26.2% in Salford and 23% nationally). National data shows that for most ethnic groups women are significantly more likely than men to be physically inactive. Overall 26.3% of females are inactive compared to 23.7% of males, with people of other gender identities having the highest levels of inactivity at 33.3%.
Adults with a disability (45.9% in Salford and 39.5% nationally) are almost twice as likely to be inactive as those without (22.6 in Salford and 20.2% nationally).
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have a number of guidance and quality standards documents on increasing physical activity. One deals with how to improve the physical environment to encourage and support physical activity, other cover exercise referral schemes, behaviour change and the workplace.
Salford’s Health Improvement Service offers a range of support for those who want to improve their health and wellbeing through physical activity at whatever level they start at. Other support can come from social prescribing, community groups or self-led activity.
The aim of the Moving in Salford Strategic Framework (2023–27), Salford Physical Activity Alliance and ICP Physical Activity and Movement Transformation Group is to raise physical activity levels in Salford, cross system, focussing on key audiences, where the activity gap is most stark, as part of an equitable approach. The focus for 2025/26 includes ethnically and religious diverse communities, those with long-term health conditions, women and girls, older people and those with disabilities.
Salford is also part of the city region partnership GM Moving, which bring together thousands of organisations to make it easier for everyone to have an active life.