People engaging in physical activity

Year	2016	2017	2018	2019	2021	2022	2023
Percentage of people engaging in physical activity	77%	84%	80%	82%	85%	87%	82%

The graph and table above show that physical activity levels have increased from 77% since 2016 to 87% in 2022, with a decrease in 2023. Due to a smaller sample size in 2020, the data was not able to be broken down and published at local authority level. Shetland’s 82% is higher than Scotland’s physical activity levels which were at 79% in 2023. 

A survey carried out in the summer of 2021 in Shetland, by the Active Shetland Strategy working group provides some additional context about physical activity locally. With over 1400 responses, the survey revealed that locals face a variety of barriers to keeping active including: a lack of time and motivation, cost, distance to activities and a lack of suitable routes for walking and cycling.

61.8% of adult survey responses said they met the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended levels of physical activity of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week for adults, less than the Scottish statistic of 66% for all adults in Scotland. This may, however, be affected by demographics of respondees.

46.3% of pupil survey responses indicated that they met the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended levels of physical activity of 60 minutes per day for children, which is significantly lower than the national statistic of 69% of children under 16 who met the guidelines. Of the respondents in both surveys who did not meet the activity guidelines, 47% of adults and 53% of children were not aware of the Chief Medical Officers guidelines for physical activity.

In terms of potential improvements that could increase their activity levels, for adults, the most commonly selected choice was improved paths and routes for cycling and walking as well as activities that were beginner-focused, cheaper, family friendly and closer to home. For children, the most selected improvement was activities closer to home, followed by family activities, reduced costs and more focus on fun.

With the knowledge gained from the survey, the working group decided on some main actions for 2022/2023. These main actions were to:

• Deliver a series of campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles;
• Create family-orientated and fun-focused activities for all in two rural areas;
• Develop and expand walking group opportunities for all in Shetland;
• Engage with a variety of groups and support agencies to better understand barriers to being active, and gain their input to future projects and ideas; and
• Promote new and existing opportunities to be active, including SRT’s subscription and Access to Leisure schemes.

The aim is to reduce some of the barriers identified by locals so that more people can benefit from and enjoy being active.

Last updated: December 2024