It's an all too familiar scenario for many people in the UK. They slide into their car every morning to get to work. Then they proceed to sit at their desk for eight hours straight. By the time they arrive home they're too tired to go out for a run and would rather watch the TV instead.
The above is unlikely to be a description of anyone who lives in Wokingham though, as according to a new national report named 'Turning the Tide of Inactivity', Wokingham has the lowest levels of inactivity of anywhere in England. Sitting in the number one position out of 150 boroughs, only 18.23 per cent of all Wokingham residents are classed as inactive, beating the national average by around seven per cent. For a person to be deemed active, they have to perform at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
Why is Wokingham so active?
There are so many things to do in Wokingham, it makes sense that so many of its residents choose to get out and about as much as they can.
The supply of leisure facilities in Wokingham is particularly good. Currently, there are 58 leisure facilities per 100,000 people in the borough, so the 150,000+ people currently living in Wokingham have plenty of places to go if they want to head to the gym or go for a swim. There is even an indoor ski slope centre for those that want to try something a bit more intense.
It's easy when there's green
Although the study found no direct link between the amount of green space in a borough and activity levels, Brits seem to think having plenty of green areas helps. Some 79 per cent of people in England said that green spaces help to keep them fit and healthy, while 60 per cent think that if there were more green spaces available to them, they could improve their physical health.
Whilst statistics regarding the amount of green space in Wokingham are tricky to come by, in the South East 49.76 per cent of the region consists of green areas. That means that the region Wokingham is found in is almost three per cent above the national average in terms of green space. Places like Dinton Pastures Country Park in Wokingham, for example, are great for long walks, cycle rides and even sailing.
Looking at the figures it's fairly easy to see why the people of Wokingham are some of the most active across the whole of England, but it's when you see Wokingham in person that will make you realise why residents are so keen to run, go for a walk or cycle around the borough.