A new report from Somerset’s Director of Public Health highlights the powerful role physical activity can play in improving health, wellbeing and independence across the county and calls for a collective effort to help residents move more.
The Director of Public Health Annual Report 2025 titled ‘The Miracle Cure – Physical Activity for All’, which was presented at Somerset Council’s Executive this week, focuses on the benefits of physical activity and the opportunities to help people of all ages become more active in their daily lives and maintain their strength and balance to minimise the risk of falling and injuring themselves as they get older.
The report sets out how increasing physical activity can support healthier communities, reduce health inequalities and help people live independently for longer.
Alison Bell, Somerset Council’s Director of Public Health, said:
Building moderate physical activity into our daily lives is one of the most powerful things we can all do to improve our health and wellbeing. It benefits people at every stage of life, helping children develop strong bodies and confidence, supporting adults to stay healthy, and enabling older people to remain independent for longer.
This report highlights the importance of creating environments and opportunities that make it easier for people across Somerset to move more in ways that suit them, whether that is walking, cycling, active travel, sport or simply building movement into everyday life, by gardening or doing DIY.
The report also highlights how physical activity can help tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing communities, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and poor mental health.
Increasing activity levels can also help reduce loneliness and strengthen community connections, while supporting environmental goals through greater use of active travel such as walking and cycling.
The report also highlights initiatives already underway across the county to encourage everyday movement. One example is the Every Move Matters campaign led by the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership, which promotes simple ways for people to build more activity into their daily lives. By encouraging residents to walk more, move more and find activities they enjoy, the campaign supports the report’s message that even small amounts of movement can make a big difference to health and wellbeing.
Councillor Graham Oakes, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Public Health, Climate Change and the Environment, said:
Supporting people to be more active is vital if we want Somerset to be a healthier, greener and more resilient place to live.
This report makes clear that physical activity is not just about sport, it’s about creating communities where being active is a natural part of everyday life. From safe walking and cycling routes to community activities and green spaces, we all have a role to play in helping Somerset move more.
The report aligns with the Council’s priorities of creating:
- a healthy and caring Somerset,
- a greener and more sustainable Somerset,
- a flourishing and resilient Somerset, and
- a fairer and more ambitious Somerset.
It also reflects the importance of partnership working across the council, the NHS, schools, community organisations and local residents to increase activity levels and reduce health inequalities.
Support services and activity programmes in Somerset
- ProActive Physical Activity on Referral Scheme
- Somerset Health Walks – Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP)
- Stay Strong, Stay Steady – Age UK Somerset
- Somerset Moves Activity Finder
- Activity Directory – Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP)
- Improving support for people with frailty through Integrated Neighbourhood Teams – NHS England
