A new report from the Health and Social Care Committee highlights a stark reality: while life expectancy has slightly increased, many people are spending a significant portion of later life in poor health.
With the UK’s ageing population projected to grow from 12.7 million people aged 65 and over in 2022 to more than 22 million by 2072, the challenge is not just longevity, but quality of life. Healthy life expectancy has stalled at around 61years of age, meaning many people are living longer with multiple chronic conditions, placing growing pressure on the NHS.
Despite this, only around 5–6% of total healthcare spending is allocated to prevention. The majority of resources are directed toward curative and rehabilitative care, rather than helping to prevent ill health before it develops. The report argues this balance must shift and that physical activity should be treated as a core part of healthcare, on a par with medication.
Physical inactivity is linked to one in six deaths in the UK and costs an estimated £7.4 billion each year. Yet inactivity remains widespread, with nearly half of those aged 75 and over doing less than 30 minutes of moderate activity a week. This contributes to rising levels of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and dementia, increasing both the complexity and cost of care.
Regular physical activity offers a powerful, evidence-based response. It helps maintain strength, balance and mobility, reducing the risk of falls and frailty. It also supports mental wellbeing, cognitive function and social connection all essential for maintaining independence and quality of life. Crucially, staying active allows older people to retain a sense of autonomy and remain engaged in their communities for longer.
The Committee calls for a fundamental shift in how healthcare systems approach ageing. Conversations about physical activity should become routine in clinical practice, with GPs and other professionals actively supporting patients to move more. Social prescribing should be expanded, linking people to community-based activities, while access to structured, evidence-based exercise programmes needs to be made more consistent across the country.
Greater accountability is also needed in care settings, where inactivity can accelerate decline. The report recommends a stronger role for the Care Quality Commission in ensuring that care home residents are supported to remain active. At a system level, closer collaboration between the NHS, local authorities, leisure providers and community organisations will be key to creating opportunities for people to stay active in everyday life.
However, increasing activity levels will also require addressing wider inequalities. Older people in more deprived areas face significant barriers, including poor infrastructure, unsafe streets and limited access to facilities. Tackling these issues will require co-ordinated action beyond the health system, including improvements to the built environment and public spaces.
These factors contribute to stark gaps in healthy life expectancy, in Blackpool, healthy life expectancy is just 50.9 years for men and 51.8 years for women, whereas in Richmond upon Thames it is significantly higher, at 69.3 years for men and 70.3 years for women.
The report also stresses the importance of changing how society views ageing. Too often, later life is associated with inevitable decline, which can discourage people from remaining active. Challenging these assumptions and promoting a more positive, realistic understanding of ageing is essential to driving behaviour change.
Ultimately, the message is clear: physical activity is one of the most effective tools available to improve health in later life. Treating it with the same seriousness as medication could help shift the NHS toward prevention, reduce long-term costs and, most importantly, enable people to live longer, healthier and more independent lives.
Read the report: Physical activity as important as medication for keeping older people healthy and happy, MPs say – Committees – UK Parliament
