Active Scotland has launched its new Scottish Physical Activity for Health Framework, supporting action locally and nationally, to increase physical activity levels, improve health and reduce health inequalities in Scotland.
The groundbreaking Framework has been developed through a partnership of organisations, including Paths for All. A key focus has been to develop a wider understanding of the crucial role of physical activity in improving the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland.
The Framework serves as a call to action for individuals and organisations to join forces in tackling the pressing issue of physical inactivity. A third of people in Scotland are failing to meet recommended physical activity levels, and inequalities in activity rates persist. The need for a coordinated, multi-sector approach has never been more critical, so that efforts and investments are more than the sum of their parts.
This is the essence of the Framework’s systems-based approach which recognises the complexity of the challenge and the interconnectedness of various factors influencing physical activity levels.
The Strategic Delivery Outcomes outlined in the Framework are structured around eight evidence based areas (sub systems) each representing the best investments to boost physical activity. These are: Active Travel, Active Places and Spaces, Active workplaces, Sports and Recreation for All, Active Health Care, Active Communications, Active Systems, and Active Education.
These areas encompass a wide range of ambitious, long-term actions designed to create a more active Scotland across various settings and sectors.
Paths for All's work closely aligns with the new Framework. We collaborate with many partners to make a positive impact on physical activity across different settings and sectors. Our focus is on encouraging and enabling more people, especially those who are least active, to walk, wheel, or move in ways that suit them.
The new Physical Activity for Health Framework is now available for public access. Paths for All’s projects feature across the document as case studies and on the Actify platform which contains video content to bring it to life.
National Walking Framework: The next step
Paths for All will support Active Scotland with development the National Walking Framework, due for launch next year. This will play a crucial role in realising the goals set out in the Physical Activity for Health Framework, particularly in promoting accessible and inclusive forms of physical activity.